June AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org Newsletter

Protect your lungs this summer: respiratory health tips for high pollution and pollen days

Respiratory health risks increase during the spring and summer months due to higher ozone levels and increased seasonal pollen. Exposure to outdoor air pollutants and pollen can worsen chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, by irritating the lungs when inhaled. Learn simple, practical steps you can use at home, at school and in your community to protect respiratory health and prevent asthma and other chronic respiratory conditions this season! 

Tips to stay healthy:

Monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) using AirNow or your local weather report.

Schedule outdoor activities when air quality is best, typically in the morning.

Stay inside with the windows closed on high pollen days and when pollutant levels are high.

Use a portable air cleaner and ensure your furnace or HVAC system has a high-efficiency air filter to reduce the level of fine particles from the air inside your home.

If you experience symptoms, limit outdoor activity and, if necessary, contact your doctor.

Learn more about asthma and respiratory health at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Asthma webpage. Also make sure to visit EPA’s DIY Air Cleaners webpage for more information on air cleaners, including an instructional video on how to build a do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaner during an emergency (such as a wildfire smoke event) with common household items.

Submit your application for EPA’s annual asthma leadership recognition program!

EPA is committed to improving the lives of people with asthma. Each year, EPA recognizes exceptional community asthma programs and their leaders as National Environmental Leaders in Asthma. These leaders deliver exemplary asthma care and services within their community.

Consider applying for this recognition if your program —

• Includes a robust indoor environmental component.
  
  
• Embodies the key drivers of program effectiveness — as described in the Asthma Change Package.
  
  
• Promotes the integration of the 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group throughout the continuum of care.
  
  
• Achieves positive health and sustainable financial outcomes.

Organizations applying for recognition must submit an application that addresses the following three areas:

• Area 1: Comprehensive Asthma Management
• Area 2: Getting Results – Evaluation
• Area 3: Financial Sustainability

A complete description of the Application Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria can be found at: www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org/programs/recognition/criteria.

Recipients will —

Receive EPA’s highest recognition for leadership in asthma.

Join the prestigious list of asthma programs in the Hall of Fame.

Gain national visibility on the AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org as you continue to demonstrate your program’s value proposition.

Mentor other programs to achieve impactful results.

Visit AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org to learn more about the application criteria and to submit your application online!

Applications are due by July 10, 2026!

Community Libraries Program launches!

The EPA Region 8 Healthy Schools team launched a Community Libraries Program within the six states in the region — Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

The program offers an extensive inventory of free indoor air quality (IAQ), healthy schools, healthy homes, children’s environmental health, wildfire smoke, lead poisoning prevention and other environmental education materials. Each library can build its own EPA resource inventory by choosing materials that reflect the issues that are most important in the community. Examples of outreach materials include bookmarks, activity books for children, the Why Is Coco Orange? and Why Is Coco Red? books, fact sheets and pamphlets on topics like wildfires, air quality, radon, mold and asthma, and EPA pencils and stickers. As part of the program, each library receives hard copies of the selected high-quality educational resources to distribute to individuals and schools within their community, either as take-home materials or for checkout.

Photo: The EPA resource table featuring Why Is Coco Red? at the Phillips County Library in Malta, Montana, a participant in EPA’s Region 8 Community Libraries Program.

Committed partners have additional opportunities to schedule EPA guest speakers to speak on many different environmental topics, participate in EPA’s Air Quality Flag Program and receive a set of the flags to fly, and obtain indoor/outdoor air sensors available through EPA’s sensor loan program. Finally, partners can receive a box fan, filter and duct tape to make a DIY air cleaner to share as a demonstration, along with instructions for patrons to make their own air cleaners.

In its second year, the program has partnered with 12 libraries across four states and continues to grow, with each partnership tailored to the library’s specific needs. Some examples include utilizing EPA kids’ activity books for youth summer day camps, materials for table displays during special recognition days and months, air quality kits for check out, materials to hand out during summer reading programs and kickoff events, and book mobile materials.

This initiative has been a very effective way to share outreach and education messages about air quality and asthma to a wider audience. For more information about the Region 8 Community Libraries Program and the resources available, contact Kim Bartels at bartels.kim@epa.gov.

Resource spotlight

Access AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org’s Resource Bank for the latest asthma resources! Each newsletter we spotlight a resource from the Resource Bank, a hub that contains more than 600 different resources. Network members can search for and exchange asthma resources to support their work.

Add your program’s resource(s) to the Resource Bank — Share your successes with the AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org community!

Air Cleaning Allies Activity Book

The Air Cleaning Allies Activity Book is an educational resource designed to teach children ages 7 and older about air cleaning strategies and filtration. Follow along as the Air Cleaning Allies — Merv the air filter, Aerie the air cleaner and DJ the DIY air cleaner — help the kids learn about and reduce sources of indoor particle pollution, including outdoor air pollution, that can trigger asthma and other respiratory conditions. Join the adventure and complete a series of activities to learn how filtration and air cleaning can safeguard IAQ and occupants! Download your copy today!

AQI Basics for Ozone and Particle Pollution Table

The AQI is EPA's tool for communicating about outdoor air quality and health. The AQI includes six color-coded categories, each corresponding to a range of index values. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. This table is available for download on AirNow along with Activity Guides — available in English and Spanish — that provide ways to protect your health when the AQI reaches unhealthy levels.

EnviroFlash Air Quality Alerts

EnviroFlash is an EPA-sponsored system supported by state and local air quality agencies that allows users to subscribe to receive daily air quality forecasts and ozone action day alerts for their location or area of interest. EnviroFlash provides AQI values based on air quality monitor readings collected across the United States. By staying informed about current air quality conditions, individuals can make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families on days when air quality is unhealthy.

AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org connects more than 1,100 community-based asthma programs, providing a platform to share best practices, build mentoring relationships, and access over 600 asthm