Museum of Science Announces Participation in New ASTC and Sanofi Initiative "The Air We Share"

Museum of Science one of three anchor institutions in new ASTC and Sanofi program to address environmental challenges

Boston, MA – The Museum of Science today announced its partnership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and Sanofi on a new program, The Air We Share, designed to engage local communities with environmental challenges that affect human health, such as air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat. Along with two other institutions—Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, NJ) and The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA)—the Museum of Science is an anchor of the project and has begun designing its efforts to support action that improves human and planetary health. Each anchor organization will develop a significant new program on locally relevant challenges and solutions, and will collaborate to develop publicly available assets and resources to enable additional science centers and museums to engage with their communities on the ways that human and planetary health are intertwined.

"Science centers play an important role in addressing issues facing communities through the application of scientific expertise and local knowledge," said David Sittenfeld, director of the Museum's Center for the Environment. "The Museum of Science is excited and honored to connect youth from communities impacted by respiratory health challenges with experts from science, policy, and community to envision, co-create, and implement solutions together. We're grateful for the leadership and support from Sanofi and ASTC for this national project and honored to participate."

Extensive research shows that environmental threats like air pollution and extreme heat 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. The Air We Share will focus on actions that individuals and communities can take to protect themselves against respiratory harms and address underlying issues like climate change and pollution. The program will also include a challenge that invites youth to generate solutions that address a respiratory problem associated with specific, local environmental challenges. 

Organizations selected to participate in The Air We Share receive funding, adaptable assets for public engagement programs and communications, and access to a community of practice and scientific experts to support their work. Data collected from the program will provide insights into the most promising approaches (i.e., most effective messages and activities for particular audiences), which will provide a basis for future work that makes an even greater impact in sparking public action to improve the health of communities across the U.S.

Applications are now open for ASTC members who would like to join this project, to undertake new efforts that engage local communities on topics related to the environment and human health. Cohort members will receive up to $20,000, program and communications assets, and the opportunity to coordinate and learn from others to develop new public engagement efforts. Additional information is available on the Seeding Action website, with applications due by October 24, 2025.  

The Air We Share will reach millions of people to build public understanding of the ways that environmental challenges like air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat affect human health, while increasing their ability and motivation to improve respiratory health and address underlying environmental issues. At the program’s conclusion, participants will better understand promising approaches to engagement on these critical issues of human and planetary health.