The GO3 Project was started in 2009 by Dr. John Birks as an innovative approach to teaching students the science of air pollution and its health effects. Our mission is to provide K-12 students with exciting, real-world STEM projects that promote the application of scientific skills and garner environmental awareness surrounding air quality. We currently have four projects, including the original
“Global Ozone Project,” the “Black Carbon Experiment," the "CO2 Experiment," and “GO3 Treks,” all of which are monumental air quality monitoring projects in which students act as citizen scientists by making accurate measurements of air pollutants and uploading their data to a public database for online graphing and display on Google Earth. The GO3 Project also provides many other resources to participating teachers and students, such as curricula in the form of Power Point presentations, online interactive Moodle courses, and a social network similar to Facebook but limited to registered students, teachers, GO3 staff, and invited scientists where members discuss student data and environmental problems. Another innovative aspect of the GO3 Project is its international nature. Air pollution knows no geographical or political boundaries, with air pollution levels in the western US being affected by emissions in Asia and levels in Europe being affected by emissions in the US.
