Project Impact

Museums, libraries, science centers, and other cultural organizations engage communities across the United States in learning experiences every day. They have built deep ties with their communities over decades of sustained service and have rightly earned strong reputations as trusted sources of information. These institutions play a vital role in their communities offering educational opportunities and even moving beyond that focus by providing food, childcare, and other essential services. As a result, they are uniquely suited to educate the communities they serve about public health.

Through the Communities for Immunity initiative, museums, libraries, cultural institutions, and tribal organizations have demonstrated their unique value. With deep knowledge of the specific needs of their communities, museums, libraries, cultural institutions, and tribal organizations are critical grassroots partners in building vaccine confidence. With national support, these individual efforts can be expanded and replicated to effectively engage people across the country on public health topics and more. Visit the Example Library to find resources developed by Communities for Immunity awardees.

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They have established relationships in their communities.

  • The Providence Children’s Museum (Providence, Rhode Island) partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Health to support vaccination efforts for families of young children through hosting vaccine clinics and developing STEAM activities focused on demystifying the vaccine. All the resources and activities were offered both in English and Spanish.
  • The Cummer Museum (Jacksonville, Florida) hosted a virtual panel discussion on vaccine hesitancy. Panelists from four major healthcare institutions participated: the Mayo Clinic, Baptist Health, University of Florida Health, and St. Vincent’s. They also hosted a vaccination event in partnership with Agape Health Center and Jacksonville Transit Authority.

They are trusted by the communities they serve.

  • The Orlando Science Center (Orlando, Florida) partnered with the Florida Department of Health to host vaccination events. Presentations at the events were available to explain how COVID-19 vaccines work and how vaccines are developed. The science center conducted public outreach to the city’s Hispanic communities, providing messaging in Spanish with Hispanic representation.
  • The Galesburg Public Library (Galesburg, Illinois) hosted a town hall sessions so that community members could ask medical professionals from two local hospitals about COVID-19 vaccines. The Knox County Health Department attended to administer vaccines.

They have deep expertise in public engagement.

  • The Glendale Library, Arts, and Culture (Glendale, California) developed a Vaccine Influencer program that provided training for community members to increase vaccine confidence among their social media followers. They hosted Vaccine Influencers conversations and a vaccine clinic. To support and reflect the community, training materials and resources were offered in English, Armenian, and Spanish.
  • The Virginia Nottoway Indian Circle and Square Foundation (Capron, Virginia) partnered on several events. In collaboration with the H.I. Mobile Vaccine Unit and N.A. Indian Mothers, Inc., they presented informational sessions on COVID-19 vaccines and supported a mobile vaccination van for local community members. They successfully moved about 40% of the visitors they reached from hesitant to confident in the vaccines.

Project Stories

Take a deeper look at the development and impact of some of the innovative Communities for Immunity projects in the articles, blog posts, and stories below.

  • Read "Bolstering Vaccine Confidence" in the American Alliance of Museums' Museum Magazine to explore how Pensacola MESS Hall in Pensacola, Florida, created a children's toy to help people learn about the science of herd immunity.
  • Visit the Urban Libraries Council blog to learn about how four libraries—Glendale Library, Arts & Culture; Central Arkansas Library System; Mid-Continent Public Library; and Kansas City Public Library—have boosted vaccine confidence in the communities they serve.
  • Listen to community members in Baltimore, Maryland, share their stories about the pandemic and getting vaccinated. The Peale, Baltimore's Community Museum, developed this storytelling compilation and a downloadable COVID Resource Toolkit.
  • Visit the American Alliance of Museums blog to read about how Springfield Cultural Partnership and the Community Music School of Springfield, Massachusetts, formed the Trust Transfer Project to connect local BIPOC artists with businesses to create works of art that would inspire, bring hope, and forge new connections across the community.
  • Visit the American Alliance of Museums blog to learn how the National Blues Museum is connecting communities through live music, rhythm, and public health.