Throughout the entirety of this past school year, interns from Antioch High School have dedicated themselves to completing three projects, one of which centered on air pollution prevention as funded by the James Cary Smith (JCS) Grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). With all the pieces finally coming together in the last months of the school year, Earth Team would like to congratulate this cohort for their consistent hard work and successful community engagement efforts.
Local Air Pollution Impacts
AHS interns spent over seven weeks throughout their second semester solely focused on the JCS project. This level of time commitment during both weekly after school meetings as well as outside events allowed interns to fully immerse themselves in the research and learning process that would make them youth experts on air quality concerns in their community.
Interns learned about sources of air pollution through interactive exercises, firstly working in groups to map major trucking routes in the Bay Area and compare them with pollution burden data provided by CalEnviroScreen. They built on this activity by looking at data from the Senate Bill 535 Disadvantaged Communities map as well as the BAAQMD’s Stationary Source Screening Map, which revealed a close correlation between air pollutants concentrated near state-labeled disadvantaged communities.
This insight opened up a dialogue within the AHS team regarding threats to environmental justice, the negative health impacts of air pollution, and strategies to engage community members in the fight for clean air. Interns even practiced creating hand-made infographics, learning how to best present asthma incidence data to a variety of hypothetical target audiences in order to spread awareness about the real-world implications of air pollution on human health. Spanning multiple weeks of in-depth learning, these activities helped pave the way for the AHS team to take action in their own community.
Youth for Clean Air Campaign
In early April, interns from Antioch High School ran a Youth for Clean Air campaign organized on their school campus. Aiming to raise awareness about local air quality concerns and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from student commutes, interns designed a variety of outreach materials to be distributed and presented during the campaign week, including a detailed informational booklet, brochure, and presentation. These were later supplemented by interactive workshop slides, which are explained more in a previous blog post titled “Community Empowerment through Air Quality Awareness Workshops.” Each piece contributed to educating the student population about the negative effects of air pollution in their community and encouraged them to participate in Vehicle Miles Traveled surveys both before and after the campaign to measure its environmental impact.
To further amplify their message, interns set up tables during their lunch periods where they could connect with their fellow students and answer any questions about the campaign. Interns took shifts in pairs or small teams in order to engage passersby in conversations about transportation-related emissions. They used their outreach materials as visual aids to reinforce key facts, and even offered candy as a fun incentive for students to learn more and take part in the survey effort.
Antioch City Council Meeting
In order to complete their team’s JCS project, six interns took an active role in civic engagement by participating in the Antioch City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 27th. Rather than simply presenting their work in a classroom setting like before, these interns addressed local air pollution and climate change concerns directly with public officials. During the public comments segment of the meeting, each intern spoke, using the opportunity to advocate for cleaner air and more sustainable transportation solutions in their community.
Given the strict time limit of only a few minutes per speaker, interns had to rethink how to communicate their research effectively in a short time frame. This process pushed them to simplify technical language, highlight key statistics, and frame their insights as clear, actionable recommendations. Before stepping up to the microphone, each intern navigated the formal process of submitting a speaker request form, ensuring their voices would be heard. It became an important exercise in persuasive public speaking and strategic messaging for environmental advocacy.
Their presentations covered a range of issues, from the disproportionate pollution burdens revealed through CalEnviroScreen data, to the health consequences of air pollution, to the potential benefits of investing in cleaner, more accessible transit. By the end of the meeting, the interns had not only informed their local representatives, but also gained valuable firsthand experience in environmental action. These interns were publicly acknowledged by multiple council members who expressed their awe and gratitude for the team’s work, and many audience members met the interns in the lobby after their public comments to personally commend the level of professionalism that was shown from their presentation of data to their calls to action.
Conclusion
The dedication and initiative shown by the Antioch High School interns this year reflect the power of youth-driven environmental action. From data analysis and creative outreach to real-world civic engagement, these students demonstrated a deep commitment to understanding and addressing air quality issues in their community. Their work on this JCS-funded project not only educated their peers and influenced local leadership, but also laid the foundation for future sustainability efforts rooted in environmental science and justice. As Earth Team celebrates the success of this cohort, we are inspired by their growth as change-makers and hopeful for the continued impact they will have as the next generation of environmental leaders.
