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Denver Schools Will Help Monitor Air Quality

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Public Schools will soon play an important role in monitoring the city's air quality, thanks to a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Cities Initiative.

The money will help pay for cutting-edge pollution sensors to be installed at 10 campuses, which have yet to be selected.

Denver Public Schools
(credit: CBS)

Denver is one of 35 cities to receive the grant as part of the 2018 U.S. Mayors Challenge, a nationwide competition to encourage cities to develop new ideas to confront their toughest challenges.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement,"Children have one chance to grow healthy lungs, and air pollution is causing our kids to experience serious health problems."

Denver Skyline
(credit: CBS)

"Support from Bloomberg Philanthropies will allow the City and County of Denver to institute new and innovative air quality monitoring methods that will not only benefit Denver students and families, but will also be replicable across the U.S."

Denver will roll out its air quality sensors over the next 6 months, and use that period to refine the program. Following the testing phase, Denver will submit a new application in August 2018, for a chance to be awarded $5 million to fully implement the program.

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