From Paper and Clay: Boston Teens Craft the Science of Vaccines

One of YMCA of Greater Boston‘s successful youth leadership programs trains teenagers to be influential community messengers about health and well-being, such as the importance of vaccinations. In the spring of 2023, as part of their training, 8 youth members learned how the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine works by building physical models of the molecule out of materials like shredded paper and modeling clay. Later, the teenagers were able to share their newfound knowledge directly with community members. One adult thanked them for engaging with him around the topic of COVID-19, explaining “I think there should be more places where people share accurate information about the vaccine. There is a lot of misinformation out there.” As part of the same program in 2024, YMCA of Greater Boston trained 16 new youth members who conducted 50 events and connected with more than 1,000 people about COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.