AIR Academy at ECON MUNI: students learned how to measure air quality and how laboratories work

ECON MUNI hosted a two-day AIR Academy for primary and secondary school students in November. Under the guidance of chief organiser Zdeněk Šerý, they visited leading scientific facilities, assembled their own pollution measurement sensors and gained practical skills that can be used in everyday life. The programme was created as a university project, connecting experts with the younger generation.

The initiative for the event came from its main organizer, Zdeněk Šerý, a student of regional development and tourism, and Dr. Tóthová, who wanted to find an understandable way to communicate research findings outside the academic community. The project was subsequently approved thanks to funding from the KoMUNItní fund. "The main goal was to connect partners and put together a packed program directly at Brno institutions dedicated to air quality," Šerý explains. The second goal is to create educational materials, which has already been accomplished with the creation of checklists and a teacher's brochure. The organizers are currently distributing these to schools.

Šerý places the importance of the Academy in the broader context of environmental education and air protection awareness. "It's amazing that the university can be a partner in educating the younger generation, especially at a time when interest in environmental issues is growing," says Šerý. The project thus aims to increase awareness and activate young people. Practical demonstrations, visits to places they would not normally see and the opportunity to obtain information directly from experts were key to their involvement.

The Academy programme was very intense and varied. It began with team building at ECON MUNI, followed by laboratories at the RECETOX scientific centre and then an excursion to the Transport Research Centre. The first day ended with a visit to the SAKO waste treatment plant. The second day continued with a programme at the faculty. The Air Sensor Association led a workshop during which the students worked in two teams to assemble their own pollution measurement devices. This was followed by a workshop by nextbike on shared mobility, where they could try their hand at changing the inner tube of a bicycle, for example. The afternoon was spent at the measuring station in Lány in cooperation with the city of Brno, and the final reflection took place at the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The participants received their certificates there and competed for an air quality sensor, which was ultimately won by a student from SPŠ Purkyňova.

"The most popular activities were excursions to RECETOX and SAKO where students could look into the laboratories or directly into the incinerator. The workshop on building sensors was also a great success. The opportunity to work with technology and put something into operation with their own hands was extremely appreciated by the students. It is the unusual and interactive nature of the activities, i.e., experiences that are not offered in regular classes, which I consider the main factor for success," says Šerý.

The participants can now apply their newly acquired knowledge in their lives. "They can take public transportation to school instead of driving, or even better, walk or ride a bike," adds Šerý. Another major topic was local heating systems, which have a significant impact on air quality in many municipalities.

The long-term outcomes of the project are expected to extend beyond the university campus. A "Database of Materials" is being created on the Academy's website, where teaching presentations, checklists, methodological brochures and a resource directory will be available. Šerý says that the entire concept is ready to be repeated once a year. However, awareness remains the main goal. "Clean air is an economically valuable resource that is important to take care of," Šerý.

The AIR Academy thus brings concrete experience, expertise and motivation to the younger generation to participate in improving air quality to environmental education. Dr. Dominika Tóthová is the expert guarantor of the project. Nine projects received support from the KoMUNItní fund in 2025.