Even though air quality can be invisible, its impact can be major. Environmental conditions like wildfire smoke, air pollution, and extreme heat can affect respiratory health while leaving families without the information they need to protect themselves.
That knowledge gap is where Tasha Wright saw an opportunity. As director of U.S. Volunteer Programs & Community Relations at Sanofi, Wright spearheaded the launch of The Air We Share earlier this year, a national education program designed to directly inform communities about air-quality issues. Created in partnership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), the program works with 14 science centers and museums around the country, giving families and students access to hands-on exhibits, science-based information, and resources focused on the connection between environmental conditions and respiratory wellness.
Wright said the idea for “The Air We Share” developed a few years ago after she spoke with colleagues about STEM and corporate social responsibility.
“What started as a conversation became a vision,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “That vision became a program.”
The initiative comes as families report widespread concern about air quality. An ASTC-Sanofi survey found that 87% of U.S. parents are concerned about air quality’s impact on their families, while only 37% say they regularly check air-quality reports. Eighty-four percent say they want to do more to address poor air quality. According
to research by ASTC and Sanofi, nearly nine in 10 parents worry about how air quality affects their family’s health, while far fewer feel prepared to take meaningful action. The Air We Share focuses on empowering families with the information they need to take action.“The Air We Share is our signature STEM initiative, and it’s designed around the impact that the environment has on respiratory health,” Wright told BLACK ENTERPRISE in an exclusive interview. “It’s very timely because we’re talking to people about how the environment impacts respiratory health while we’re also seeing it in real time.”
The initiative officially launched at Boston’s Museum of Science, where students, educators, and community leaders gathered to discuss the relationship between environmental conditions and health. The event featured science educator and TV personality Bill Nye the Science Guy, online science creator and educator Sean the Science Kid, and Boys & Girls Club member Andrew Rodgers, who moderated a discussion on air quality and public health.
Wright added that she sees an opportunity to put young people in the driver’s seat. “It’s an initiative focused on education and awareness, but the other piece is looking to our youth for solutions,” she said.
That approach will expand through a national student competition planned for 2027, challenging young people and communities to develop ideas addressing air-quality challenges.
For Wright, the work also reflects a broader push to make STEM education more accessible to communities that have historically had fewer opportunities and resources.
“It’s a two-pronged approach,” she said. “We’re going into communities and partnering with museums across the country to educate families and students on how air quality impacts their health. But then we’re turning to them and saying, ‘Now that you have this information and you’ve asked all these amazing questions, how do we solve for it?’”
The initiative is part of Sanofi’s broader STEMulate Growth commitment, which aims to expand access to STEM learning and careers for students in historically underserved communities.
As Wright put it: “It’s become a lot more than what I originally envisioned, but we know how impactful and important it is.”