Mohawk students hands-on in learning about better school air quality

Mohawk College, Grand Erie District School Board and Nerva Energy have joined forces to install innovative Active Air Purification Technology, in Grand Erie Schools and in so doing  providing  hands-on learning opportunities for Mohawk College students.

With renewed attention on air quality in schools during the pandemic, two area schools are the first in Ontario to retrofit their HVAC systems with an active, in-duct, air purification technology, providing students with a virus- and bacteria-reduced environment and a chance for hands-on learning with an innovative new technology.

Brier Park Public School, in Brantford, and Paris Central Public School, in Paris, working in partnership with the Mohawk College Climate Change LeadersTM program, have installed an innovative, laboratory tested technology in their ventilation systems that is proven to combat COVID 19, reduces the spread of germs, and improves indoor air quality for students and staff.

Following the installation process, conducted by Stoney Creek-based Nerva Energy and the Cleaner Air for Schools program, students will learn first-hand how to validate and measure other energy-efficient technologies. They will also study the impact on absenteeism due to illness in their schools and will examine the impact on energy consumption.

“Connecting our educational partners with cutting-edge technologies, while providing real-life learning experiences for students through Mohawk’s Climate Change Leaders Program allows students to realize some of the potential STEAM-related careers that are available to them,” said Ron McKerlie, President of Mohawk College. “In this case, we have the added benefit of reducing the risk of infection for students and staff in their schools.”

The Cleaner Air for Schools program is designed to create a safer learning, teaching and working environments for all, proactively treating every cubic inch of air-conditioned supply air space, reducing airborne and surface contaminants. Test results from independent labs and universities show 99.9+% inactivation of common viruses and bacteria and has been proven to combat COVID-19.