DALLAS - s4story -- The Shared Skies Initiative, a youth-led environmental justice initiative founded by Dallas high school student Nathan Tan, has been selected as a finalist in the 2026 SXSW EDU Student Impact Challenge. The international competition recognizes student-developed solutions addressing pressing social, environmental, and public health challenges.

Shared Skies focuses on air quality inequities in Dallas neighborhoods that experience disproportionate exposure to pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health outcomes. In many frontline communities, neighborhood-level air quality data remains sparse or unavailable, limiting residents' ability to make informed decisions about daily health risks.

The initiative addresses this gap by combining multi-layered air quality sensors with AI-powered analysis. Shared Skies integrates hyper-local sensor readings with satellite imagery, weather conditions, and EPA environmental justice records to generate neighborhood-scale air quality insights. These insights are then translated into public-facing educational materials designed to make complex environmental data accessible to non-technical audiences.

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"Air pollution is often invisible, and the communities most affected are the least represented in the data," said Tan. "We built Shared Skies to use technology responsibly — to analyze data and to help communities understand what it actually means for their everyday lives."

Beyond data collection and analysis, Shared Skies emphasizes youth leadership and community engagement. "Students play a central role in deploying sensors, interpreting results, and developing educational resources that demonstrate environmental injustice and air inequalities." added Nathan Tan.

Since its launch, Shared Skies has conducted extensive air quality research, piloted sensor deployments in underserved communities, and created early versions of data dashboards and educational content. The initiative has also begun forming partnerships with schools, community organizations, and researchers to refine its technical approach and ensure data is used responsibly and transparently.

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Finalists of the Student Impact Challenge present their work live during the SXSW EDU conference in Austin, Texas, where projects are evaluated by educators, policymakers, and industry leaders based on innovation, feasibility, and real-world relevance.

About Shared Skies Initiative
The Shared Skies Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by youth to empower frontline neighborhoods with the data, resources, and voice they need to secure cleaner air and a healthier future. By centering youth leadership and translating complex data into accessible tools, Shared Skies aims to support more informed, equitable environmental decision-making at the neighborhood level.

Website: https://sharedskiesinitiative.org

Instagram: @sharedskiesinitiative