May is National Asthma Awareness Month, and Clean Air Allies was honored to participate in the Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) Virtual Summit held on May 5-6, 2026.

On May 6, Clean Air Allies co-founder and Project Director JuNelle Harris joined a panel discussion on “California policy opportunities for 2026,” presenting on school indoor air quality (IAQ) policy alongside representatives from the American Lung Association, the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), and the California Budget & Policy Center.

The panel addressed a range of California policy areas — outdoor air quality, healthcare, housing, school IAQ, and the state budget — reflecting the broad priorities of CAFA, a coalition of organizations working to reduce the burden of asthma in California communities.

Asthma is a particular concern in schools, where poor IAQ can trigger and worsen symptoms for students and staff. A recent cost-benefit analysis, conducted pro bono by economist Dr. Richard Bruns for Clean Air Allies, estimated an average 30x return on investment in school HVAC upgrades, with asthma burden reduction in schoolchildren among the health benefits factored into the analysis.