Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Communities for Immunity is an initiative of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, the American Alliance of Museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Network of the National Library of Medicine. It provides funding awards and support to museums and libraries engaging their communities to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. As trusted community partners, museums and libraries play a critical role in building vaccine confidence and fighting the pandemic.
As a recipient of the ASTC Communities for Immunity grant, the Neville Public Museum plans to create 6 sets of a traveling exhibit consisting of 5 banner stands. The stands will be an extension of the Germs section of the museum’s first floor Spectacular Science Exhibition. They will include information about what makes us sick, how vaccines work, how mRNA vaccines work, COVID-19 updates, and information about Brown County Public Health. In addition, the grant will also allow staff to implement updates to the current Germs exhibit in house.
“The public trusts in museums and libraries to provide context and facts that increase understanding and inform decisions,” said Laura Lott, President and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums. “The Neville Public Museum is helping to lead us into a brighter future by helping their vaccine-hesitant communities make well-informed decisions about COVID-19 and vaccinations.”
Communities for Immunity builds on a number of earlier and ongoing efforts to activate engagement in vaccine confidence work, including REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM), a research partnership between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle; Vaccines & US, led by the Smithsonian and in collaboration with a range of partner organizations and individuals; Vaccinate with Confidence from the CDC; We Can Do This from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the It’s Up to You campaign led by the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative.
The Neville Public Museum of Brown County is an accredited cultural institution that champions history, science and art. Located in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin, the museum is dedicated to the collection and preservation of significant objects relevant to Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The museum seeks to bridge these multi-generational regional communities through engaging exhibits and dynamic programming.
