Center for Environmental Research and Technology

J.W. North High School in Riverside, California is located near the intersection of the 215 and 60 freeways, a location known for its poor air quality. As a result of a partnership between UCR CE-CERT, the UCR Center for Healthy Communities, the Riverside Unified School District, and the Coalition for Clean Air, and with funding from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), students at this school had the opportunity to work with research staff on a hands-on project to understand the importance of air pollution in their neighborhood and collect air quality data while creating air quality awareness within their community.

Under the guidance of research engineer Isaac Lino and UCR graduate and volunteer for the project Ms. Adriana Chavez, students studied the effects of automobile tailpipe emissions on plants and other media, and collected, analyzed, and interpreted the resulting data. The project culminated in a showcase and awards ceremony on May 15, 2019 at which student participants were honored with a certificate of completion recognizing their outstanding work. Click here to visit the student project team website for more information.