"Breathing Better, Learning Better: How the Classroom Air Affects Children's Health and Education"
Join us in UCC at our Interdisciplinary seminar on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 9:30am - 4:30pm
On behalf of Dr Asit Kumar Mishra and Dr Eilish O'Reilly, we warmly invite you to join our interdisciplinary seminar "Breathing Better, Learning Better: How the Classroom Air Affects Children's Health and Education."
📅 Date: Tuesday, 31 March 2026
⏰ Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm (join for the day or any of the talks listed below)
📍 Venue: Dr. Dora Allman Room, 4th Floor, The Hub, UCC
✉️ Contact: Dr. Asit Kumar Mishra akumarmishra@ucc.ie
| The event is catered (lunch and two coffee breaks) and free to register and attend. Places are limited so early registration is encouraged. You may attend the entire event or select sessions. |
Free Registration:
UCC affiliates: Breathing Better, Learning Better – Fill out form
Guests: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/register/event/77310?preview=false
or email akumarmishra@ucc.ie
Why Attend?
This event brings together researchers, clinicians, and practitioners to examine one of the most overlooked determinants of children's health and academic performance: the air they breathe in school.
This seminar sits at the intersection of environmental science, public health, education, and policy — making it highly relevant across disciplines including, Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Public Health & Epidemiology, Psychology & Education, Environmental Science & Sustainability, Social Policy & Urban Planning.
Whether your interest lies in the science of the built environment, child health outcomes, behavioural impacts of physical spaces, or translating evidence into policy, this event offers a rare opportunity to engage, exchange ideas, and shape future research in the direction. The seminar provides an excellent networking opportunity, with a dedicated lunch break and structured group discussions throughout the day.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Agenda
| Agenda |
|---|
| Registration desk (9:15 - 9:45am) Collect your name badges Opening Address (9:30am) Keynote Presentations (9:45 - 10:30am) Dr. John McKeon (iAIR Institute) - drawing on his clinical and building science expertise to examine the upstream health consequences of indoor air. Interactive Session – What makes a healthy classroom? (10:30 - 11:00am) Coffee Break (11:00 - 11:20am) Research Findings Presentation and Q & A (11:30am - 12:30pm) Dr. James McGrath (Maynooth University) and Dr. Asit Kumar Mishra (UCC) will present findings from ongoing research into the current state of classroom air quality and thermal comfort in Irish schools, including data, patterns, and implications for policy and practice Lunch (12:30 - 1:30pm) Workshop: "Practical Steps for Healthier Classrooms" (1:30 - 2:15pm) Led by Ruth Booker (Clean Air for Kids, UK) and Dr. Liz Coleman (University of Galway), this hands-on session translates research into practice, offering participants simple, cost-effective strategies to monitor and improve classroom environments Panel Discussion: "From Research to Action" (2:15 - 3:00pm) Chaired by Dr. James McGrath, with panellists Dr. Ciara Steele, Dr. John McKeon, Professor Ella Arensman (UCC/NSRF), and Sinead O'Brien (CAAI) exploring how evidence can drive meaningful change at the school, community, and policy level, including discussions on funding, advocacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration Coffee Break (3:00 - 3:15pm) Interactive Session – Building a Roadmap for Change (3:15 - 4:00pm) Closing remarks and next steps (4:00 - 4:30pm) |
For more on this story contact:
Dr. Asit Kumar Mishra akumarmishra@ucc.ie
School of Public Health
Scoil na Sláinte Poiblí
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