Learning to Prevent the Next Pandemic: VaxHunt Game Earns STEM.org Educational Trustmark

The Influenzer Initiative’s online game earns the STEM.org Authenticated™ Educational Product Trustmark

WASHINGTON, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — When it comes to vaccine information and pandemics, words like authentic and trusted matter, even in the gaming environment. Students, teachers, and life-long learners can play VaxHunt: The Quest to Prevent the Next Pandemic with the confidence that each module has been thoroughly reviewed by STEM.org Educational Research™(SER) and awarded its STEM.org Authenticated™ trustmark.

Inspiring the next-generation of vaccine scientists to tackle influenza is key to preventing the next pandemic. VaxHunt is an online game featuring trivia and puzzle challenges where players explore:

• The threat and history of influenza pandemics
• Why we need a vaccine to prevent an influenza pandemic
• The challenges of developing influenza vaccines
• How these challenges may be met through innovative, transdisciplinary science

Educational resources bearing the STEM.org Authenticated™ trustmark conform to vetted STEM standards, including criteria for support materials, diversity and inclusion, socialization and communication, imagination and cognition, and STEM careers. The trustmark assures students, educators, parents, and others that these products will:

• Integrate seamlessly into STEM-friendly classrooms and homes
• Align to Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math standards
• Support the development of 21st century skills
• Engage users through hands-on learning and collaboration

According to Andrew B. Raupp, Executive Director of STEM.org Educational Research™, “VaxHunt helps strengthen STEM learning skills while promoting STEM education. This accomplishment will serve as an inspiration to others who aspire to be the best and reaffirms your ability to captivate those who value STEM at home and in their communities.”

Introduced in December 2020 at the annual conference of the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza, VaxHunt also engaged the BioBus New York City Virus Hunters student program in game development review and testing.

Now is the time to fuel next-generation vaccine innovation. This will require a new generation of bold flu fighters to accelerate critical vaccine research and development. Learn more and join the quest at https://www.influenzer.org/vaxhunt

About the Influenzer Initiative

The Influenzer Initiative, led by the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is engaging creative thinkers from diverse sectors, working to accelerate the development of a universal influenza vaccine. Our current work continues to examine the on-going global response to COVID-19 as a means to inform and inspire the pursuit of universal vaccine protection against influenza. We assess how beneficial changes in practices and policies—across the science and technology landscape, vaccine development and regulatory science, public-private partnerships, and pandemic preparedness—can be sustained to prevent future pandemics.

ABOUT STEM.org

Founded in 2001, STEM.org Educational Research™(SER) is America’s longest continually operating, privately held STEM education research and credentialing organization. Working closely with pedagogical researchers, an international coalition of educators, administrators, NGO’s and schools, SER has established a trusted set of STEM benchmarks. SER has served over 9,500 schools, districts, and organizations in over 80+ countries, as well as such globally recognized brands as Disney, Geomag, Learning Resources, Creation Crate, Modular Robotics, hand2mind, Play-Doh, Educational Insights and Magformers. The resources and proven best-practices of this initiative have produced the world’s original and most recognized, blockchain-secured algorithmic STEM credentialing framework: STEM.org Accredited™ for Programs, STEM.org Certified™ for People, and STEM.org Authenticated™ for Products.

Media Contact:

Mary Beth Woodin
press@sabin.org

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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