Look how easy it is for schools to take an active role in helping their students breathe easier!

The Central Valley fills easily with particulate matter, like dust, pollen, and pesticide residue, that doesn?t blow away. This results in some of the poorest air quality in the state. Farming, trucking, population growth, and particulates blown in from other parts of California have caused a pollution build-up that has made it difficult to breathe in the Central Valley for decades. It is estimated that up to 16.4% of the children living in the Central Valley have asthma (California Health Interview Survey, 2002) and that Valley schools lose about $26 million each year to asthma-related absences.

Because air pollution can have a negative affect on people with asthma, it is important for communities to have accurate air quality information. That?s why the American Lung Association of California has developed the Air Quality Flag Program. This program gives schools the opportunity to hang specially colored flags on their flagpoles to alert students, parents, and teachers about the air quality for the day. By monitoring the color of the flags, people with asthma can easily determine a safe level of outdoor activity on a daily basis.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (Valley Air District) has been monitoring the Valley?s air quality and issuing forecasts for years. The flag program translates this information into simple, easy to understand messages for students and the community at large.

Central Valley schools that want to participate in this program can obtain the necessary tools from their local asthma coalitions, including:

• A comprehensive orientation on the program for school staff, students and parents,
  
• Easy to understand, culturally appropriate educational materials on air pollution health impacts, the Air Quality Index and the flag program for adults and students in English, Spanish or Hmong,
  
• Technical assistance on obtaining and understanding the Valley Air District?s daily electronic air quality report, as well as tips on getting this information through alternative sources as well, and
  
• A set of four 28??X 36?? colored, vinyl flags that correspond to the health descriptors of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and an explanation on how to use them.
  Green flag: Good
  Yellow flag: Moderate
  Orange flag: Unhealthy for sensitive groups
  Red flag: Unhealthy

Approved by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the program also offers the Blue Sky/Brown Sky elementary curriculum and classroom materials to interested educators.

For further information about this program or the requirements for participating, please contact either Lisa Plank (laplank@sbcglobal.net) or Susie Rico (srico@amerilungcencal.org).