Be Aware of Our Air

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Be Aware of Our Air Aly Dyson, NC Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, Division of
Air Quality Janique Evans, Fayetteville Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Be Aware Of Our Air is an educational and air
quality awareness campaign for Cumberland County,
North Carolina. This campaign is a combined
effort between the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan
Planning Organization and the Fayetteville
Regional Office of the North Carolina Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of
Air Quality. The region covered includes
Cumberland County NC (population 310,850), Fort
Bragg military reservation, and Pope Air Force
Base. It is an EAC area in which air quality
education is a major component to reduce ozone,
particulate matter, and air pollution in general.

Kidsville News! is a free monthly educational
publication that is distributed to all K-5th
grade students in Cumberland County and other
independent locations. The readership is about
80,000. We sponsor and create a page to teach
about air quality. The page includes activities,
definitions, stories, and science experiments all
focused on an air quality issue.
Be Aware of Our Air Week coincides with the
beginning or end of ozone season. The Air
Awareness Diaries shown challenge individuals to
stop polluting by changing everyday activities.
A variety of prizes were awarded including a
bicycle to promote alternative transportation.
The week was so successful in 2004 that for May
2005 Sustainable Sandhills contracted an
individual to bring Be Aware of Our Air Week to
three surrounding NC counties Hoke, Harnett, and
Moore.
Up Coming Weekly is a free publication
distributed throughout Cumberland County and the
surrounding areas. It has a readership of 42,000
area residents. Bi-weekly air quality editorials
are published. We hope to educate all ages
throughout the population, and get them thinking
about air quality.
Poster and Essay Contests are open to all
Cumberland County students grades K-7 and have
monetary prizes. The contests promote thinking
about how air quality effects daily life and how
individuals can reduce air pollution. Calendars
created from submitted posters were distributed
to participants and used as educational
materials. Posters and essays from other
contests will be combined into an Air Awareness
Coffee Table Book to put in the local and state
offices to educate the public as they wait.
The Driving for Clean Air program is a supplement
to Cumberland Countys Driver Education Program
which is taught at local high schools. The
curriculum includes an air pollution video (that
can be obtained at EasyBreathers.org) and having
the students complete activities in the Cleaner
Cars Student Manual that was developed by the
National Safety Council. Fact sheets about
ethanol, biodiesel, electric vehicles, and an
alternative fuel comparison are given along with
general air quality information.
Fresh Air presentations were given to elementary
school children at all Cumberland County
Libraries. Carpooling and behaviors to reduce
air pollution were taught using story time, a
movie, and science experiments. Activity books
about air quality were given to the children and
parents received air quality information.
Materials for this program came from the Texas
DOT, NASA, Hamilton County Environmental
Services, and NC DENR. This program has been
expanded to 5th grade classes by teachers
request.
Air Quality Displays are used throughout the
community at events to promote Air Quality
Awareness. Displays have been set up at Health
Fairs, Festivals, Libraries, and the County Fair.
NC DENR and It All Adds Up To Cleaner Air supply
the materials.