The Air We Share, a partnership between Sanofi and ASTC’s Seeding Action initiative, supports science centers and museums in the United States to engage with their local communities on the ways that environmental challenges like air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat affect human health. Extensive research shows that these environmental threats harm our physical health—with especially significant impacts on respiratory health. The good news is that there are ways we can protect ourselves and our communities from these harms, by reducing our exposure to unhealthy air and addressing the underlying causes of air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat.
Madison Children’s Museum
Sanofi STEM Challenge: The Air We Share
The Sanofi STEM Challenge invites high school students to design solutions to the air quality challenges that are most important to their communities. Participating science centers and museums will host a two-day “hackathon” event for youth to research, design, and pitch innovative solutions to local air quality issues. During the local hackathons, high school students will learn about the ways that air quality affects health, especially in their community, and will conceptualize and pitch their solutions to local judges. The winning team from each participating organization earns an all-expenses-paid trip to Boston to compete on a national stage as part of the ASTC Annual Conference in 2027.
We are in the process of reviewing applications for organizations to host the Sanofi STEM Challenge in 2027.
The fourteen science centers and museums that have been selected to participate in The Air We Share cohort are engaging with their local communities on the ways that environmental challenges like air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat affect human health. Their projects support individuals and communities to take action to improve air quality and respiratory health.
Resources for Communicating about Air, Health, and Action
There are many things that individuals and communities can do to address the sources of air pollution and keep themselves safe. ASTC, Sanofi, and partnering museums have developed several resources to support practitioners and communities to identify meaningful actions and share their value.
Improving the Air We Share: Practitioner’s Guide helps public engagement practitioners identify and communicate about actions that people can take to improve air quality and health.
Air Pollution: What Can We Do? is an infographic that describes the primary causes of air quality issues and corresponding actions that mitigate the problems and help protect people who are exposed to unhealthy air.
Ready to Take Care of The Air We Share? is a one-pager that categorizes actions by their primary purpose: protecting respiratory health or improving air quality.
Printable Signage Files are available in several dimensions and free for any organization to use to engage their community on air quality and health.
Sanofi is an innovative global healthcare company with one purpose: to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.
The Air We Share is the newest initiative of STEMulate Growth, Sanofi’s bold, overarching commitment to advance inclusion in STEM learning for students in historically under supported communities across the U.S. For more information on STEMulate Growth, visit our website.
