E2.06 - IGNITE: From Classrooms to Coalitions: Scaling Clean Air Education Through Partnerships

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn how a grassroots pilot project grew into the Clean Air and Learning in Mississippi (C.A.L.M.) Initiative, a coalition housed within the University of Mississippi Department of Public Health. Discover how national, university, and local partnerships—including the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, School of Education, and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education—worked together to expand classroom access to air filtration and curricula. Recognize how intentional coalition-building reduces barriers for under-resourced schools, equips student facilitators with hands-on engagement experience, and creates a replicable model that links environmental justice to child health equity.

Detailed abstract description: Environmental health inequities disproportionately affect children in under-resourced schools, where exposure to poor air quality contributes to higher rates of asthma, respiratory illness, and chronic absenteeism. Recognizing this disparity, graduate students in Public Health at the University of Mississippi expanded the grassroots pilot Clean Air Project (UM-CAP) into the Clean Air and Learning in Mississippi (C.A.L.M.) Initiative.

C.A.L.M. was officially housed in the Department of Public Health, leveraging the university’s credibility and reputation to establish a permanent anchor for the initiative. At the national level, the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation provided material resources and rhetorical support to strengthen advocacy and visibility. Within the university, the School of Education and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) ensured alignment with state curriculum standards and offered guidance on best practices for classroom integration. Locally, undergraduate student facilitators served as community-facing champions, supporting school implementation while gaining valuable internship experience in health equity and community engagement.

This layered partnership model demonstrates how intentionally structured coalitions can reduce barriers for schools with limited budgets while amplifying awareness of the connections between environmental justice, child health, and educational outcomes. By combining national expertise, university credibility, and local implementation, the initiative has created a framework for scaling grassroots projects into statewide coalitions.

Attendees will gain insight into how cross-sector partnerships can dismantle inequities by linking policy advocacy, community engagement, and resource provision. This session will highlight practical strategies for coalition-building, discuss lessons learned from integrating environmental health into K–12 classrooms, and demonstrate how partnerships at multiple levels can sustain equitable change. The C.A.L.M. Initiative offers a replicable model for educators, public health practitioners, and advocates seeking to advance social justice and health equity through collaborative approaches that improve the environments where children learn.