MBSJSU and CHC are collaborating to host a DIY air purifier build in September 2026 to give SJSU students/staff and the broader South Bay community access to clean air. This will be hosted at SJSU and open to all. We will start the build with an educational workshop highlighting the importance of clean air to fight the spread of disease and air pollution. Following that, CHC will demonstrate how to collaboratively assemble an air purifier and explain the different components and steps. This process involves attaching a cardboard shroud to the front of the box fan, hot-gluing weatherstripping to the perimeter of the back of the fan, and attaching the fan to an air filter with elastic bands. Once attendees finishing building purifiers, MBSJSU will talk about how to use and maintain the purifiers in their spaces.

Within the Bay Area, South Bay has worse air quality than its neighboring parts in part due to traffic, weather, and topography (source: Bay Area Air Quality Management District). Local air pollution research shows that this is an environmental justice issue: negative health outcomes are concentrated in low-income neighborhoods near highways and industrial areas. CHC regularly hosts events that empower people to provide clean air for themselves and neighbors in Oakland and San Francisco, where our organizers are based. However, we also get many air purifier requests from the South Bay which are harder to fulfill. This is why we are collaborating with MBSJSU, a group who also values clean air and is eager to improve the wellbeing of their community. By sharing our DIY skills and air quality expertise we will enable more advocates and folks in South Bay with the skills necessary to combat air pollution, smoky days, and illness.