What colour is the flag in your community today? Chances are it is probably blue.

Each day as students raise their Air Quality Flag, they are finding that the blue flag is the most common of all four. Given that British Columbia has good air quality most of the time, the frequency of a blue flag should not come as a surprise.

The important thing to remember about the Air Quality Flag Program is that the flags are designed to help school communities understand the relationship between air and health. Knowing that encourages awareness of the air quality in case it does change and can help some people adjust their outdoor activity levels accordingly.

Having a blue flag is something to celebrate; not every place in the world has air as clean as BC.

If you’re participating in the Air Quality Flag Program and you or your students are looking for ways to continue learning about air quality, here are some ways to keep it top of mind:

• Share, Share, Share: Sometimes we learn about something better when we’re teaching it to others. Do you know another class that you could share the program with? Pass the program on and let other students in your school raise the Air Quality Flags.
• New activities: Take a look at the resources page to get a feel for the different activities available. Whether you’re looking for something that is curriculum-based or is more hands-on, there is something for everyone.
• Keep it current: Students at Chase River Elementary keep their Air Quality Flags close by when the school running club practices.

Is there an outdoor sports event coming up at your school? How about a track meet or a soccer game? Raise the flag on the sidelines and let attendees know what kind of air day it is. This would be a great leadership opportunity for students to explain what the flags mean to someone who has never heard of the program.

• Compare and contrast: What is the air quality like in other parts of Canada? Abroad? A blue flag may be common in BC, but air quality is different in other places. Take a look at the following links:
  • Airhealth: Choose a different community in Canada to see what the air quality is like there
  • State of the Air: The American Lung Association puts out this list each year which ranks American cities from best air quality to worst air quality
  • Set a Google news alert for “air quality” ; you’ll receive daily news stories on the topic

Have any more ideas? Send me an email: glynn@airshiftgroup.com

I look forward to hearing from you,

Glynn