Clean Air Week 2025 – Our 7th Year of Fresh Thinking!
We’re blowing fresh air into classrooms across Ireland for the 7th annual Clean Air Week from 17-21 November, and the CAW Crew are ready with a full menu of facts, figures, and fun to help you make a difference!
Make your way down the page to learn more about challenges, competitions for primary and secondary students, our webinar and more.
This is our CAW mascot, Carlos the Crow. We’d like to give a big thanks to Carrigalea N.S., Dungarvan for their winning name in the competition last year!
Get involved
What’s Happening This Year
We’re challenging every school to investigate the air outside your school — and discover how we can all help keep it cleaner.
This year we focus on NO IDLING!
Resources!
Download a poster for your school
Planning something in your school community? Share it around your school grounds with one of our posters.
Your Class Challenge: No Idling Survey
Take part in our Air Quality Investigation by running a quick No Idling survey outside your school this week using our handy survey sheet.
Download the survey sheet in English agus as Gaeilge here
Ask your school bus driver to take the pledge to not idle outside your school.
Send your results to us at travel@greenschoolsireland.org
Your school will go into the draw for a CASH PRIZE so get counting those idlers!
Kickstart a No Idling Campaign!
Ready to go further? Download our No Idling Toolkit and help your whole school take action this week.
Classroom Watch Activity: BBC Sheffield’s “Air Quality on the School Run”
Ever wondered who breathes the most pollution on the way to school?
Watch this BBC News feature on air quality and the school run to find out.
(Note to Teacher: Vote in class before you watch the feature)
Who do you think has the best air quality? The worst? Walker Cyclist Motorist
Can you spot their wearable air quality monitors?
Simple Ways to Clean the Air
We have some simple ways to clean the air which you can promote and share. Clean air science facts too.
Download the resources below in English and Irish!
Promote these easy wins around your school and community:
- Turn off engines when parked
- Walk, cycle, or scoot when you can
- Keep classrooms ventilated.
Let’s make 2025 the year we all breathe a little easier.
Air Quality Investigation Challenge for Secondary Schools (Class project and/or individual student project)
What You’ll Learn:
How to find and analyse real scientific data
How air quality changes with time, weather, and human activity
How to turn numbers into stories, art or visuals that make people care
Share Your Findings!
We’d love to see what you discover — your charts, posters, or creative projects might even inspire others to check the air around them.
Tag your work: #CleanAirDetective or send it in to your teacher or Green-Schools coordinator to submit to us.
Email us: Submit your entries to travel@greenschoolsireland.org and be in with a chance to win a 100 euro spot prize!
So grab your curiosity, your laptop, and your detective hat —
and find out what’s really in the air today near you!
Watch this space for who will be crowned Green-Schools’ Clean Air Detective(s) 2025 !
Useful links for this activity:
Useful Tips
We have some tips on how to Save Fuel, Zero Emissions which you can use to get going on some projects in your class perhaps and also share with your families.
Tá an acmhann seo as Gaeilge leis.
Trees
We have a lovely video and lesson plan from our friends in LEAF (Learning About Forests) to help you.
Competitions!
Primary Art Competition CAW 2025
How to do it: Place small drops of paint onto our printed lungs sheet or your own version (see video for instruction)
Artistic technique: Students blow through a straw to move the paint across the sheet and create their designs, practising blowing air out, not breathing in .
Clean air connection: This connects to the idea of air movement, which is a fundamental aspect of air quality.
Why not: Display each class’s work on a wall for everyone to see – let your classrooms become galleries of creativity!
PRIZES:
Win cash prizes for the top entries in both Junior and Senior Primary categories, we also have participation prizes.
Junior Class Winners: 1st – €150. 2nd – €100.
Senior Class Winners: 1st – €150. 2nd – €100
Please send one photo per class, showing all the artwork together (e.g. one photo for 1st Class, one for 2nd Class etc.)
Download the Terms and Conditions here.
Deadline to enter is 5pm 5th December 2025
“1700 Too Many” – Air Awareness Competition for Secondary Students
Every year in Ireland, 1,700 premature deaths are linked to poor air quality. That’s 1,700 too many.
This year, we’re calling on secondary students to turn that number into action, awareness, and creativity!
Your Campaign Should:
- Clearly convey the message: “1700 Too Many”.
- Raise awareness about premature deaths caused by poor air quality.
- Encourage positive action: Reduce car use, walk, cycle, or scoot, plant trees, avoid smoky fuels and avoid engine idling.
- Be original, creative, and suitable for a public audience.
Why It Matters
Air pollution affects:
- Our lungs and hearts
- Our neighbourhoods and environment
- The people we care about
Your ideas could save lives and make Ireland’s air cleaner.
Remember small changes can have a big impact. Let’s make every breath count!
Cash Prizes!
Individual Award. 1st – €100. 2nd – €50.
Group Award. €200
SOURCE
*Some 1,700 premature deaths attributed to poor air quality per year, says EPA – The Irish Times
Download the Terms and Conditions here.
Deadline to enter is 5pm 5th December 2025
Webinar!
‘Air Detectives – The Science and Art of Discovery’.
18 November 2025
Get ready for 45 minutes of fun facts, expert insights, and interactive quizzes with Green-Schools Travel and GLOBE Ireland.
https://eeu-antaisce-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/hHhXi0F0TZK2awBlKoVsFQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Globe + Green-Schools Travel Lunchtime webinar for secondary school students
Tuesday 18th November 2025 | 1300 – 1345
With guest speakers:
Dr Dáithí Kelleghan, Team Lead Air Modelling and Telemetry, Environmental Protection Agency.
Dr Liz Coleman, Lecturer in Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway.
Including a Q+A with speakers and Clean Air Quiz.
“Promoting Clean Air in our schools and communities helps advance these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):”
We would love to see photos of anything you get up to this week – please tag us @greenschoolsire @greenschools_travel