At Propel Hazelwood Charter School, in a mostly empty classroom, second-grader Montaziyah Evans played with her braids as she recounted her asthma medicines.

“Albuterol and Singulair,” she said.

“Good job,” responded Dr. Jennifer Elliot, an associate professor at Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy. She gave Montaziyah a high five. “Albuterol is always so hard to remember.”

After quizzing Montaziyah about steps in her medicine regimen, Dr. Elliot said she’d call Montaziyah’s mother to check up on a few things. Then she walked the girl through

the proper way of using an inhaler. “I take a deep breath,” Dr. Elliot said, “like I’m sucking in spaghetti.”

Montaziyah is one of about a dozen Hazelwood primary school students — reached through Propel and the after-school programs of the community organization Center of Life — who began participating in CAReS (Caring for Asthma in our Region’s Schoolchildren) last fall. Every few weeks, Montaziyah talks with Dr. Elliot about prevention and treatment of her asthma.

A 50-child pilot program conducted in other nearby school districts found that the CAReS approach, administered through Duquesne University and with support from The Heinz Endowments, helped children and their caregivers better understand asthma. The number of children able to control their asthma nearly doubled.