We Need Fresh Air is an organization dedicated to improving student achievement one breath at a time. It sounds simple, but it’s not. How do we do it?

We Need Fresh air disseminates important information, helping educators, parents and legislators understand the effects of indoor air pollution and clean air on education.

For example, while many people know the negative effects of mold and indoor air pollution, it’s also been documented that carbon dioxide—the result of poor ventilation—can reduce test scores more than bad teaching. That’s worrying considering 85% of schools in California were found to have carbon dioxide concentrations above acceptable levels of 1,000 parts per million, and schools in other state probably have similar levels.

We also educate school districts on the importance of school ventilation and fresh air for student achievement; research fresh air and its link to better school test scores; provide webinars and training for school districts; and partner with local organizations to lobby for legislation to fund the improvement of indoor air quality in schools.

We were founded in 2018 by Roger Silveira, who has been in the construction and building maintenance industry for more than 30 years. He’s the director of facilities maintenance and operations for the Fremont Union High School District in Northern California and an expert on building ventilation, indoor air pollution and the importance of fresh air. We hope to transform the way you think about fresh air, ventilation and indoor air quality.