2022 Air Quality Educational Resources & Events and Activities
Every May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosts Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) with the goal of sharing information on air quality and how it affects health, as well as encouraging people to incorporate knowledge of the Air Quality Index (AQI) into their daily lives. To help increase this awareness, EPA works with our AirNow partners – National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Department of State – as well as State, Local, and Tribal agencies to promote events. Here some resources and events that may help you Be Air Aware and Prepared.
EVENTS
| Date | Location | Event and Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5/5/2022 | Florida |
Title: 2022 Clean Air Fair Message: After two years of hiatus, due to the pandemic, the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County invites you to join us as we celebrate clean air. When: Thursday, May 5, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Where: Poe Plaza (Franklin @ Jackson St.), Tampa, FL Contact information: Diana Lee, lee@epchc.org, epchc.org |
| 5/3/2022 | Virtual |
Title: Asthma Disparities and the Impacts of Climate Change and COVID-19 Message: In honor of World Asthma Day, EPA Region 4’s Asthma Program welcomes Jenna Riemenschneider, the Director of Advocacy and Special Projects at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. She will present “Asthma Disparities and the Impacts of Climate Change and COVID-19”. When: Tuesday, May 3, 12:00 pm Where: Click here to join the meeting Contact information: Heidi LeSane, lesane.heidi@epa.gov |
| 5/3/2022 | Washington, D.C. |
Event: Screening of "Unbreathable" The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environmental Air Quality Division will collaborate with American University to host a screening of “Unbreathable.” The event will include a screening of the movie and a panel discussion of academic experts, advocates, and AQD staff. See website for details. https://doee.dc.gov/node/1594421 |
| 5/3/2022 | Arizona |
Event: Sun Tran Transit Workshop To celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) Clean Air Program will be hosting a Transit Workshop led by Sun Tran for downtown employees and residents to learn about bus, shuttle and streetcar options for travel. Other travel reduction resources will also be available When: Tuesday, May 3, 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Where: 201 N. Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ, Basement Conference Room C (RSVP required by April 29) Contact information: HealthyAir@pima.gov, 520-724-7449 More information: See attached flyer. |
| 5/2-5, 2022 | Oklahoma |
Event: Tribal Forum on Air Quality JOIN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON HOW TRIBES ARE IMPLEMENTING THE CLEAN AIR ACT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. EPA TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES When: May 2-5, 2022 Where: 8330 Riverside Pkwy, Tulsa, OK 74137 Contact information: j.sokol@nau.edu Or join online: https://sites.google.com/view/ntfaq2022 Link to More information: www.nau.edu/ntfaq2022 |
| 5/4/2022 | Ohio |
Event: Change is in the Air: A Community Conversation To celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week, the Cleveland Division of Air Quality is hosting an event at the Louis Stokes Wing of the main Cleveland Public Library. The program is designed to host 2 panels (Asthma and Your Health; EJ & Air Quality and Citizen Science). What is the state of Asthma in Cleveland? What challenges/barriers to care have asthma patients faced? What is unjust about the air quality in my community? How are air sensors used to inform the public and engage with public health and local government. The results of the conversation When: Wednesday, May 4, 2:00 – 5:00 pm Where: 525 Superior Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114 Contact information: Yvette A. Mitchell, Indoor Air Quality Specialist, |
RESOURCES
General
Air Quality Awareness Week 2022 Toolkit – Information on AQAW and how to engage.
Air Quality Awareness Week Word Search – Check out this activity that highlights air quality keywords in a printable word search.
AirNow Education Resources - Materials and resources for students and teachers.
Air Quality Flag Program - AirNow’s program where organizations raise a flag each day to communicate the air quality forecast to their communities.
Why is Coco Orange? - Children’s book that discusses the air quality index.
AirNow.gov - Find the Air Quality Index (AQI) for your area and more information on air quality.
AQI Basics - Learn more about the AQI, what it means and how to use it.
EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools - Tools and resources for Schools program to develop and sustain an effective and comprehensive program using simple, low-cost actions to help save money, improve health, and decrease student and staff absenteeism.
EPA Indoor Air Quality - Learn more about indoor air quality and access resources to protect indoor air quality.
Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET) - Online and in-person trainings from NASA that cover a range of datasets, web portals, and analysis tools and their application to air quality, agriculture, disaster, land, and water resources management. Air Central Texas Air Quality Awareness Week – Information from Air Central Texas about how to engage in AQAW in central Texas. The website is available in English and Spanish.
Air Central Texas Air Quality Awareness Week – Information from Air Central Texas about how to engage in AQAW in central Texas. The website is available in English and Spanish.
Washington State Air Quality Awareness Week – Information from Washington State’s Department of Ecology about how to engage during AQAW. The website is available in English and Spanish.(website live on May 2, 2022)
Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources Air Quality Awareness Week – This year Wisconsin DNR is expanding AQAW messages into an entire month by posting updates and accomplishments on social medial throughout May.
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection Air Quality Awareness Week – Information on NJ DEP AQAW celebration and resources.
Wildfire & Smoke Resources
Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials - Provides information to be prepared for smoke events and when wildfire smoke is present, to communicate health risks and take measures to protect the public.
Fire & Smoke Map - Displays information on smoke from fires, smoke plume locations, and special statements about smoke.
AirNow Fires - Resources and information from AirNow on how to prepare for wildfire smoke events, what to do doing a wildfire smoke event, how wildfire smoke can impact your health and more.
CDC Wildfire Smoke - Information from CDC on how wildfire smoke can impact your health and to protect your health during wildfire smoke events.
Asthma & Your Health
Air Quality and Your Health - Information on how air quality impacts your health and what you can do to protect your health.
EPA Asthma - Information and resources from EPA on asthma.
EPA Asthma Awareness Month - Ready-to-use tools and resources for use promoting asthma awareness in your community.
CDC Asthma - Information and resources from CDC on asthma. CDC Air Quality and Health - Information and resources from CDC on how air quality can impact your health and how to protect your health.
ARSET Health and Air Quality Training - ARSET provides in-person and online trainings focusing on remote sensing applications for health and air quality
Citizen Science & Sensors
Community and Citizen Science at EPA - Resources and information from EPA on citizen science.
EPA Air Sensor Toolbox - Provides the latest science on the performance, operation and use of air sensor monitoring systems for technology developers, air quality managers, citizen scientists and the public.
CitizenScience.gov - Portal to a catalog of federally supported citizen science projects, a toolkit to assist federal practitioners with designing and maintaining their projects, and a gateway to a community of hundreds of citizen science practitioners and coordinators across government.
Fire and Smoke Map - Displays information on smoke from fires, smoke plume locations, and special statements about smoke.
Environmental Justice & Air Quality
EPA Environmental Justice - Information and resources from EPA on environmental justice.
EPA EJSCREEN Tool - Environmental justice mapping that combines environmental and demographic indicators in maps and reports.
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) - Helps Federal agencies identify disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution and provides socioeconomic, environmental, health and climate information to inform decisions that may affect these communities.
Air Quality Around the World
EPA Clean Cookstoves – Learn more about how EPA works to increase the use of home cooking and heating practices that are affordable, reliable, clean, efficient, and safe.
US Embassies and Consulates Monitor Program - Air quality data from U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.
ZephAir App - Provides real time air quality data and data trends from US Embassies and Consulates that allow users to better prepare for outdoor activity and reduce exposure.
NASA’s Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) Program - Information on the MAIA Program, a satellite instrument producing data that will be used in health studies to examine the health effects of various types of air pollution.
EPA Megacities Partnership - Information on Megacities Partnership and how it provides national and local policy makers with a framework to develop and implement comprehensive action plans to address air quality and improve public health.