Massachusetts residents are no strangers to inclement weather conditions – preparing for winter weather is part of our culture. Extreme heat, however, is a newer public health threat in Massachusetts, and we haven't yet built the same systems and cultural alarm bells for it. In the Lower Mystic communities of Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Revere, and Winthrop, the stakes for this gap are especially high. Urban heat islands push local temperatures up to 10 degrees hotter than surrounding areas, and existing communication systems weren't designed to reach the residents most at risk.
The Lower Mystic Cool Communications Campaign aims to change that. In Summer 2025, we tested heat messaging to inform efforts around building a cool culture. This year, the campaign has moved from pilot to toolkit, and partners have made their resources available to any community interested in using them.
The campaign is organized around two complementary tracks: Stay Cool Materials, which support traditional communication channels (social media, flyers, etc.), and Building a Cool Culture, which uses storytelling and creative engagement to reach residents where traditional messaging falls short. Together, they're designed to reach residents through the channels that actually work — from City newsletters to tropical-themed pop-ups — and build community heat resilience.
These, and additional resources, are explored below.
Stay Cool Materials
Our campaign provides ready-to-use materials that can be easily customized and distributed through multiple channels.
The 2026 Stay Cool Materials are designed to support heat preparedness 3–5 days before a heat event and throughout the summer, with clear, actionable messages for residents to protect themselves and their loved ones. All materials are available in six languages: English, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese.
The package includes two Canva brand kits and a Heat Message Library:
- Animals Are Cool — a vibrant, illustrated style featuring animals and their heat-beating adaptations, developed in partnership with artist Hania Mariën
- Designed by Depict Brands — an expansive library of heat graphics, templates, and guidelines organized by heat season, with various layouts suited for graphic-, photo-, and text-based designs
- Heat Message Library — a ready-to-use, pre-translated library of messages that can be used with either brand kit. The Library is organized by heat season and includes suggested messaging for high-risk groups
The Cool Communications Arts Toolbox
Last summer, we partnered with three artist teams to pilot creative heat engagement projects across Lower Mystic communities. Those projects are now packaged into the Cool Communications Arts Toolbox and available as a lending library for any municipality or organization to use or adapt. The following materials are available now for your use:
- Cool Communications Network (Daphne Lundi) — The Heat Oral History Kit (conversation cards, guidebook, stickers, mini fan), and The Hot Takes Gumball Machines, which are filled with heat stories and prizes
- Animals Are Cool (Hania Mariën & Anna Deloia) — an animal-themed activities guide, illustrated booklet, coloring sheets, and stickers for use with elementary-age children
- Tropical Resilience Lounge (Carolyn Lewenberg & Edwardo Chacon) — a portable pop-up with sculptural palm trees, soundscape and multilingual zines with cooling resources and tips.
(Please note: The portable pop-up is not available directly from MAPC. If you are interested in using it, please contact us so we can connect you with the artists)
Where to find these materials?
All digital materials are downloadable from the Cool Communications Arts Toolbox.
To request any of the equipment from our lending library, contact [email protected].
More Cool Resources & Research
Hot Takes Videos and Stories: This summer, we also partnered with Urban Media Art to collect and film heat stories using the Cool Communications Network toolkit. The team brought the colorful gumball machine, prompt cards, and plenty of curiosity to local events, including the Green Malden Fair, Chelsea Juneteenth Festival, and Museum of Science. The result is a vibrant tapestry of community experience and ingenious cooling tips.
Hot Takes: How do you stay cool in the summer heat? Questions from the Heat Oral History Toolkit,
developed by artist Daphne Lundi. Videos recorded and edited by Urban Media Arts.
Please visit MAPC Metro Boston Youtube channel to watch the Hot Takes videos. We also invite you to sign up for the Regional Stories newsletter to receive more community heat stories directly in your inbox.
Heat and Emergency Department Visits Whitepaper: Partners worked with the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) to analyze heat-attributable emergency department visits across the five municipalities. Beyond making the case that heat's health burden is likely far greater than heat-related counts suggest, it reveals how that burden falls unevenly across age, ethnicity, and insurance status, helping practitioners target outreach and resources to the residents who need them most. Read the White Paper here.
Municipal Website Guidance: Residents and community organizations rely on municipal websites during extreme heat events. Based on a nationwide scan of heat relief websites, MAPC developed The Elements of an Effective Municipal Heat Relief Website — a practical guide covering six key elements: heat and health tips, local cooling resources, information about local heat projects, municipal contact information, emergency alert sign-ups, and translated and accessible materials. Each element includes real-world examples from municipalities across the country. Download the Municipal Website Guidance here.
Questions about the project? Contact Sharon Ron [email protected].