In order to protect our health, we each must understand the science that underlies the decisions we make. As communities and individuals are making decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine, there are different situations and concerns that are unique to each community. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is supporting educators and young people to engage in conversations about these concerns. Through the Vaccines! How can we use science to help our community make decisions about vaccines? guide, young people learn more about the concerns of their community in order to communicate accurate, helpful, and trusted information about vaccines. By engaging with this guide, young people support their communities make good and safe decisions about vaccines.
Utilizing a transdisciplinary approach to learning, the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project’s newest community response guide, Vaccines! features 8 tasks that incorporate investigations and hands-on science to help students discover, understand, and take action. Students learn about the science of vaccines throughout history; understand the science of how vaccines work; learn about how vaccines are developed; examine issues of equity, access, and misinformation; and develop an action plan for addressing vaccines concerns in their communities.
Join the Smithsonian Science Education Center to learn more about Vaccines! and how to use this this content to support young people to explore and think about the concerns about vaccines in their community, and use science communication to become agents of change.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center will be hosting several webinars to support educators in their use and understanding of the Vaccines! Guide. Please register for a webinar below at a time that works for you. If you have any questions, please reach out to Alexa Mogck at MogckA@si.edu.