When Peter Brown took over as Director of Curriculum, Skills, and Apprenticeships at Glasgow Kelvin College, he didn’t expect to one day be bravely holding two sheets of metal while a bunch of nine-year-olds blasted it with 3500-degree flames.

Although, in a way, that’s exactly what he signed up for.

There is plenty said about how colleges are closely linked with their local communities, but this is often talked about in the form of ties to business and industry. Colleges teach students what they need to know to be ready for the kinds of available jobs, and they offer the types of training that employers need to strengthen and upskill their workforce.

The links go deeper than that, and they start much, much younger.

Colleges provide access to education and job opportunities, and they do it in ways that are, fundamentally, accessible. Whether this takes the shape of a 50-year-old signing up for an evening course as a first step into post-school education, or school pupils paying a visit to a college campus, there are various ways that people can dip their toe into what colleges have to offer.

Sunnyside Primary pupils built and installed air purifiers in their classrooms.Sunnyside Primary pupils built and installed air purifiers in their classrooms. (Image: Sunnyside Primary School)

All of this helps to explain why the P6 pupils of Sunnyside Primary School were at Glasgow Kelvin’s Springburn campus this Spring, getting a crash course in welding from Mr Brown.

Granted, the welding wasn’t the actual reason for their visit.

Sunnyside is a School of Conservation, where environmental themes are woven throughout the curriculum. Part of the ethos encourages pupils to explore topics that they are passionate about. For Sunnyside this year, one of those topics happened to be air quality.

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As P6 Kaila explained, the pupils were inspired by the story of Ella Roberta Adoo Kissi Debrah, a nine-year-old girl from London who died after suffering an acute asthma attack. Beyond the raw tragedy of her death, Ella’s circumstances proved historic – she became the first person in the world to have air pollution cited as a cause of death, and her story has served as a springboard for proposed clean air legislation in the UK.

Ella’s story also inspired a group of eco-minded pupils in Glasgow. “Everyone deserves to have safe clean air to breathe,” said fellow P6 Jacob.

And what better place to start cleaning up their air than in their own classroom? But how to start, exactly?

Kimberley Watson, Sunnyside’s Family Liaison Officer, said that students began their clean air journey by taking measurements in their classrooms, learning about particulate matter and how to measure it. But then they needed to know how to get rid of it.

Curriculum Director Peter Brown at the Glasgow Kelvin College Springburn campus.Curriculum Director Peter Brown at the Glasgow Kelvin College Springburn campus. (Image: Gordon Terris)

Enter Mr Brown and Glasgow Kelvin.

“Peter was amazing. He came in with tools, fans, and materials and we just got our heads down and the kids did so much work. Peter just said we can do this, we can get you all this stuff and we can do this in the workshop.

“They have provided the learning and the support and the materials, they’ve just been amazing.”

Through a series of visits and interactions, Mr Brown supplied Sunnyside with a ready-made module on air quality—including the science behind what’s in the air, the math involved in taking measurements, and the engineering needed to assemble a cleaning machine.

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The pupils were at the Springburn campus for the construction phase, assembling the finished products: do-it-yourself air purifiers commonly known as Corsi–Rosenthal Boxes.

Their creations were simple but effective and cost a fraction of the cost of a commercial air purifier. However, they are not much different from an expensive machine available in stores—and that’s part of the idea, Mr Brown said.

“It’s a simple version, but the technology is basically all there. They’re seeing they can come in here in an afternoon and put together something that could cost hundreds of pounds to buy.”

Pupils took measurements of air quality in their classrooms.Pupils took measurements of air quality in their classrooms. (Image: Sunnyside Primary School)

Purifiers can run the gamut in price, and store-bought replacement filters are where the costs escalate. But for the price of a dozen readymade filters, Glasgow Kelvin was able to provide rolls with hundreds of square feet of material that can be used to trap particles from the air. All it takes is for a few eager pupils to trim the material to fit their box and snap it into place.

Simple, but effective.

Now that the new school year is underway, every Sunnyside classroom has its own purifier. Lisa Perrie, Sunnyside’s Principal Teacher and Conservation Leader, said they serve as a reminder of Ella’s story and the pupils’ commitment to clean air as one of their many environmental goals.

“At Sunnyside our mantra with our campaigns over the years has been for our pupils to roll them out to their peers. As well as engaging with any Scottish schools interested in the project, our Ocean Defenders, who have linked up with a school in Malaysia through our plastic pollution campaigns, hope to share their clean air knowledge too as air pollution is also a huge issue there.

“As we move into the winter bugs season this will hopefully help give Sunnyside clean air classrooms improving the health and learning environment for all.

They also serve as a reminder of how a college can leave a lasting impact in the community.

“Peter and his colleagues at Kelvin College enabled our pupils to investigate the science of air quality and flow in our rooms before helping them design and build their reusable air filters.”

And not to mention, having a go at the welding torch was a nice bonus.