Massachusetts Life Sciences Center commits ongoing expert collaboration, $1.5M in support of STEM education
BOSTON, MA – The Museum of Science, Boston announced a new partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center around the Museum’s ongoing initiative: Project Vaccine. Through Project Vaccine, the Museum is harnessing the expertise of academic experts, government agencies, and health advocates to engage and inspire the public around vaccine development and Massachusetts’ role in the life sciences ecosystem.
The new collaboration will provide the Museum and its audiences – online and at Science Park – access to world-leading scientists and information, as well as $1.52 million in financial support to expand programming and exhibits on life science topics.
The new collaboration will provide the Museum and its audiences – online and at Science Park – access to world-leading scientists and information, as well as $1.52 million in financial support to expand programming and exhibits on life science topics.
“Project Vaccine partnerships will be critical as we aim to inspire, educate and engage young people by helping them understand the many different aspects to creating a highly effective vaccine,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “We hope that visitors to the exhibit and online not only understand the process, but to see the different ways in which each of them could be part of similarly impactful scientific breakthroughs in the future.”
“For life sciences to continue to thrive in the Commonwealth, we need to invest in our young people who could be the key to the next lifesaving innovations coming from our ecosystem,” said Kenn Turner, CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “Supporting the Museum of Science in this effort is critical to strengthening our already world-class life sciences infrastructure.”
The Project Vaccine initiative began with a Town Hall discussion in March 2020 during the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, it has expanded to include videos and other online resources developed by the Museum’s science educators and experts including an AI-enabled interactive program allowing visitors to ask a virtual Dr. Ashish Jha their questions about COVID and vaccines.
The Project Vaccine initiative began with a Town Hall discussion in March 2020 during the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, it has expanded to include videos and other online resources developed by the Museum’s science educators and experts including an AI-enabled interactive program allowing visitors to ask a virtual Dr. Ashish Jha their questions about COVID and vaccines.
Later this summer, the Museum will open an interactive exhibit, exploring various vaccines, how they work, and even the public’s own thoughts on vaccination. Visitors will learn about vaccine development from medical leaders who have collaborated with the Museum throughout the year including Dr. Galit Alter and Dr. Adrienne Gladden-Young. Dr. Charles Anderson, CEO of the Dimock Center will also be featured as a leading health care voice from the field.
In addition to an exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston, the Museum’s Exhibits team will be building an additional traveling exhibit to expand the reach of this work. The expectation is for the exhibit to travel around Massachusetts to inspire audiences throughout the Commonwealth.
Learn more about Project Vaccine on the Museum’s website at mos.org/project-vaccine.