We're a nonprofit working to make clean air a foundational part of education—like school lunches—by developing classroom-optimized air purifiers, translating research for school decision-makers, and advancing supportive policies.
Many schools bought air purifiers during COVID-19 but have since unplugged them, viewing them as pandemic relics. We're helping decision-makers understand that clean air delivers massive education and health benefits far beyond COVID-19—reducing all respiratory infections, improving test scores, and cutting chronic absenteeism.
Fine particulate matter crosses into the bloodstream within milliseconds, triggers systemic inflammation, and can breach the blood-brain barrier. This leads to slower thinking, impaired memory, and more errors. Cleaner air directly enables better cognitive function.
These findings are still mostly in academic journals and haven't been translated into communications that reach school superintendents and board members. We're changing that.
HVAC upgrades are often excellent for air quality. But they shouldn't stop you from installing portable air cleaners. Portable air cleaners aren't a backup; they're one of the most effective options. They can deliver even better results than HVAC upgrades at a tiny fraction of the cost. And they can be deployed immediately.
For portable units, MERV-13 filters often outperform HEPA despite lower single-pass efficiency. While HEPA filters capture 99.97% of particles per pass, their high resistance drastically reduces airflow. MERV-13 filters allow much higher CFM, meaning more air changes per hour. This accounts for both the filter's capture efficiency and the volume of air the fan can move through that filter's resistance—ultimately cleaning more total air.
CFM (cubic feet per minute) measures how much air moves through the device. A classroom needs high air turnover—ideally 5+ air changes per hour. Higher CFM means the device processes the room's air more times per hour, which is often more important than single-pass filter efficiency.
Asthma affects about 7% of students and is a leading cause of chronic absenteeism. Portable air cleaners been shown to improve asthma control in children.
Yes, but that's just one of many respiratory infections that clean air helps prevent—including influenza, RSV, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. The benefits extend far beyond any single pathogen.