“We don’t get to choose the air we breathe”
How a parent can be a clean air pioneer
Liesl McConchie is a former educator, school designer, and published author who consults with schools all over the world to help them understand how the brain learns best. Most importantly, however, she’s a parent to three elementary school students outside of San Diego, California. When the COVID-19 outbreak hit, she immediately identified the harm of the virus to a developing brain and pushed her school to invest in better indoor air ventilation.
The parent organization at her childrens’ school has a bi-annual process where parents & staff can submit a proposal to use discretionary funds. She submitted a proposal for funds to put CR boxes in every classroom and successfully advocated to her parent community and school leadership. She loves the box because it’s a “simple, easy thing to do that makes a tangible difference”
When Liesl gets asked, “how can people who don’t run the school make change in the school”, she breaks it down to creating a genuine, authentic relationship with the decision makers so they know you care. She says to“find common values, whether it’s equity or health, find a way to connect clear air to something they really value. Are they hurting by chronic absenteeism? Are they really focused on making sure all students have access to a high quality education? Help them connect those dots”
“Students and teachers don’t get to choose the air they breathe but they have to be in school. It is our responsibility to provide safe, indoor clean air. We learn better and we’re healthier when we have cleaner air”
Find Liesl’s resources for being a clean air advocate at her website and her book, Brain-Based Learning: Teaching the Way Students Really Learn on Amazon