Our Story

MKE FreshAir Collective was established in December 2019 by our Executive Director, Langston Verdin. 

Being a father of three kids, one with mild persistent asthma, Langston became curious about the air quality and its effect on our health. This curiosity peaked when he read an academic paper highlighting the significant influence of community-level air quality on asthma rates in major cities. He began to wonder about the air quality outside his Milwaukee home and at his children's schools. At the same time, like many of us, Langston was glued to the horrific news of the raging Australian bushfires that were devastating larger swaths of land. While reading an article, he noticed an interesting map of Sydney that displayed the air-quality in real-time. At this moment, Langston imagined how air monitoring technology might be used in Milwaukee to keep people with respiratory challenges safe from poor air. 

Langston reached out to the map's host, IQAir, and shared information about respiratory health inequities in Milwaukee. Long story short, through their support, MKE FreshAir Collective received air sensors that were deployed across Milwaukee. 

Currently, ten air monitors have been deployed and MKE FreshAir Collective is actively searching for six to ten additional sites in 2024.
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