Arlee high schoolers lead environmental projects to better their community
The achievements of the Environmental Advocates for Global and Local Ecological Sustainability (EAGLES) club at Arlee High are a source of pride for the whole town.
Like many rural Montana schools, the achievements of Arlee High School students are a source of pride for the whole town. At the heart of the school is a student body actively committed to improving the quality of life in their community, located on the Flathead Reservation. The impacts of student environmental projects, from monitoring air quality and radon, promoting recycling and more, will last far beyond graduation.
More than a decade ago the students leading the Environmental Advocates for Global and Local Ecological Sustainability (EAGLES) club at Arlee High School began inspiring change within their community. At the time, the school relied on a coal powered furnace. Students were concerned by the potential impact the coal furnace was having on air quality at the school.
Bonnie White, a math and science teacher at the high school, helped the students find a small grant to fund the purchase of the school’s first PurpleAir sensor. PurpleAir sensors are small air quality monitors that measure particulate matter (PM2.5), temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. PM2.5 is one of Montana’s pollutants of greatest concern and public health risks largely due to wildfire smoke. Other combustion materials, such as coal, can emit PM2.5 once burned.
The students monitored the outdoor air quality and found a connection between the furnace and diminished air quality. Students presented their findings to the school administration, which responded by investing in an electric furnace.
“They saw a problem and just wanted to solve it, wanted it to change, wanted some better solutions. And the school board then invested,” White explains about the student’s work.
Technology and air quality monitoring at Arlee schools have only improved since their first project. Fast forward to 2026 and Arlee High School also has two TSI monitors funded by mini grants that track humidity, pressure, and CO2. A new generation of EAGLES are leading the charge in Arlee.
The school now has a set of paired indoor/outdoor PurpleAir sensors provided through a collaborative grant project, PurpleAirs in Schools, led by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in partnership with researchers at University of Montana (UM). Other Montana schools have also used PurpleAir data to improve decision making regarding the health and safety of students, student athletes, and staff. Data resulting from the indoor sensor is kept private by default while the outdoor sensor data is public. The PurpleAir data in Arlee and the surrounding area is linked on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai website as a community resource.
Keri Nauman, Community Air Monitoring Coordinator at DEQ, oversees the PurpleAirs in Schools program for the agency. When asked about Arlee students she shared, “The way the students have taken ownership of the air monitoring at their school is really impressive. They’re a perfect example of the kind of community engagement we love to see. We hope that students around the state will be inspired by Arlee students as they notice similar needs in their schools and feel empowered to address them.”
Recently, the high school shop teacher suspected that the air filtration system within the shop was not working adequately for the shop’s needs. After learning about the concern, the Arlee EAGLES stepped up to help. By placing an indoor PurpleAir sensor within the shop, the students were able to track air quality throughout the day.
The school administration was able to use the data to make an informed decision about investing in filtration improvements for the shop.
For teachers or school administrators thinking about joining Montana’s PurpleAirs in Schools program, White shared that the PurpleAir sensors are very easy to set up. She recommends coordinating with school IT for a smooth connection to school wifi. Josh Horn, a senior at Arlee High School, also encouraged teachers to consider asking their students for help, “I feel like in every class, there's always one student that will want to do those things, and so the teacher will usually have another student to lean on.”
The air quality monitoring projects have also encouraged the school and those impacted to consider other health and safety improvements. When a student decided to monitor for radon, it was discovered that the school’s basement was in need of mitigation. After the school installed a radon mitigation system, the EAGLES purchased a radon monitor and confirmed that the mitigation system is working.
The project encouraged more people in the community to test their homes for radon. Recognizing the need, the EAGLES have offered up their radon test monitor, for temporary check out to those wanting to check radon levels in their homes.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Due to Montana’s unique geology, data indicates that approximately half of the homes tested in the state return radon levels at or above the action level of 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). At these levels, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends homes undergo mitigation to ensure the safety of residents. DEQ has discounted radon test kits available on its Radon Control Program website.
The EAGLES are also passionate about nature gardens, water quality monitoring and recycling. Since the EAGLES first began recycling, the program has spread to other schools and communities in the area.
Horn is one of the students passionate about recycling. “I didn’t really understand recycling, what it was, what was able to be recycled and what wasn’t and so now I’m able to recycle,” Horn said about the project. “My sister is in the high school, so she kind of has to [recycle]. My little brother, he also has to, because he's in the elementary. So, it's just kinda all around our house.”
The Tribe eventually took notice and began contributing resources, as White explains, “After our project got large enough, the Tribe stepped in and they purchased recycling trailers for Mission, Charlo, Polson, Ronan, and Arlee, so that's why these guys have been trying to get other schools to participate and have, kind of, a friendly competition: who can recycle the most and keep their community clean and healthy?” The Tribe also hauls the recycling to Lake County Transfer Station for the communities.
Dusti Johnson is a Materials Management Specialist at DEQ working on bolstering recycling programs in rural areas of the state. “Recycling success is so much about changing individual habits and getting community buy in. The growth of the recycling effort that started at Arlee High School is a testament to the local community. It’s amazing to see it going strong after so many years.”
The current group of EAGLES hope that their projects can inspire similar efforts in their community and beyond. Given the longevity of the environmental efforts at Arlee High School, chances are high that new students will step in to carry the torch. With their proud history of taking on new challenges, there is no telling what they might tackle next.Tags: Air, Featured and Solid Waste