Scorecard for the “movement” to infuse epidemiology education into grades 6-12: What progress has been made in the past five years?

Many would argue that there is a definite “Movement” afoot, among people with both a personal passion and professional interest, to integrate epidemiology and other public health sciences into elementary and secondary school education. Granted, the idea of earlier exposure to the science of epidemiology meets little resistance on scientific grounds, given the demands of this discipline to problem solve, think critically, and deal with both quantitative and qualitative information. However, widespread incorporation of a new science into regular school curricula does not occur easily or often. We note that a growing number of individuals and groups have engaged in efforts to develop and sustain an epidemiology education “Movement.” Many are working independently, while others are working to coordinate and combine efforts and implement a focused strategy to: 1) develop curricula; 2) prepare teachers; 3) maintain momentum through communication and encouragement; and 4) create demand from stakeholders and educational institutions. We gave a presentation about these efforts at the 2005 APHA meeting. For this 2010 presentation, we will summarize and discuss some of the progress made in each of these areas during the past five years, discuss resource materials on the Internet, and elicit ideas from the audience about new strategies and directions. The session will conclude with a discussion of how to further define and evaluate the short- and long-term goals of this initiative.