Environmental advocates launch online academy platform

CLEANAIRE NC

Daisha Wall, CleanAIRE NC’s community science manager, installs an air monitor in Historic West End. Charlotte-based CleanAIRE NC launched the AirKeeper Dashboard, a platform of real-time air quality and information to empower community advocacy for clean air.

A Charlotte-based nonprofit is taking the mystery out of environmental science.

CleanAIRE NC launched CleanAIRE Academy, an interactive online learning tool that gives residents access to expert-driven information and resources to advocate for healthier communities. The initiative’s courses are tailored for easy use to track air quality and its health impacts. 

“The CleanAIRE Academy aims to transform understanding into action," Rafi Vaca, CleanAIRE NC’s education manager, said in a statement. “Air pollution is an invisible and often understated problem, yet its impact on public health is profound. We created this platform to demystify complex issues and inspire meaningful engagement.”   

The online academy is the latest in a series of recent initiatives launched by CleanAIRE NC. In July, the nonprofit debuted the AirKeeper Dashboard, an interactive mapping tool that tracks air quality in real time. 

The dashboard, developed in partnership with AirKeepers, or community scientists who host a network of air monitors used on the map, provides access to environmental data, demographic information, and health statistics. 

Growing concerns about North Carolina’s readiness to handle potential environmental emergencies as well as legal changes have raised greater awareness on informed community engagement. As the federal government rolls back support for environmental protections – especially in at-risk communities that tend to be low-income and predominantly Black or brown – a grassroots approach is necessary.  

“As someone passionate about environmental justice and community health, the CleanAIRE Academy greatly expanded my knowledge of air quality and advocacy,” said Naami Abbey, a UNC Charlotte student and an early user of the platform. “The self-paced courses made learning so much easier, deepening my understanding of air quality and how to turn concern into meaningful action for environmental justice.” 

On the Net:

cleanaireacademy.org

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