Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community
The fields of entomology, geospatial science, and science communication are understaffed in many areas, resulting in poor community awareness and heightened risks of vector-borne diseases. This is especially true in East Tennessee, where La Crosse encephalitis (LACE) causes pediatric illness each ye...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/2/164 |
| _version_ | 1797479200482918400 |
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| author | Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell Michael Camponovo Brian Smith Kurt Butefish Joshua M. Rosenberg Julie L. Andsager Corey A. Day Micah P. Willis |
| author_facet | Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell Michael Camponovo Brian Smith Kurt Butefish Joshua M. Rosenberg Julie L. Andsager Corey A. Day Micah P. Willis |
| author_sort | Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The fields of entomology, geospatial science, and science communication are understaffed in many areas, resulting in poor community awareness and heightened risks of vector-borne diseases. This is especially true in East Tennessee, where La Crosse encephalitis (LACE) causes pediatric illness each year. In response to these problems, we created a community engagement program that includes a yearlong academy for secondary STEM educators in the 6–12 grade classroom. The objectives of this program were to support inquiry-driven classroom learning to foster student interest in STEM fields, produce community-driven mosquito surveillance, and enhance community awareness of LACE. We trained educators in medical entomology, geospatial science, and science communication, and they incorporated those skills into lesson plans for a mosquito oviposition experiment that tested hypotheses developed in the classroom. Here, we share results from the first two years of the MEGA:BITESS academy, tailored for our community by having students ask questions directly related to <i>Aedes</i> mosquito oviposition biology and La Crosse encephalitis. In year one, we recruited 17 educators to participate in the project, and 15 of those educators returned in year two. All participating educators completed the academy, conducted the oviposition experiment, and informed over 400 students about a variety of careers and disciplines for their students. Here, we present a community-based program that helps to address the problems associated with long-term mosquito surveillance, health and science education and communication, career opportunities, and the community needs of Appalachia, as well as the initial data on the effectiveness of two years of an educator-targeted professional-development program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:42:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-832b15c8f93943a8ac6157aec40667de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:42:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-832b15c8f93943a8ac6157aec40667de2023-11-23T20:27:13ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-02-0113216410.3390/insects13020164Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a CommunityRebecca T. Trout Fryxell0Michael Camponovo1Brian Smith2Kurt Butefish3Joshua M. Rosenberg4Julie L. Andsager5Corey A. Day6Micah P. Willis7Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USAJefferson Middle School, Oak Ridge Anderson County School District, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USATennessee Geographic Alliance, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USASchool of Journalism & Electronic Media, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USAThe fields of entomology, geospatial science, and science communication are understaffed in many areas, resulting in poor community awareness and heightened risks of vector-borne diseases. This is especially true in East Tennessee, where La Crosse encephalitis (LACE) causes pediatric illness each year. In response to these problems, we created a community engagement program that includes a yearlong academy for secondary STEM educators in the 6–12 grade classroom. The objectives of this program were to support inquiry-driven classroom learning to foster student interest in STEM fields, produce community-driven mosquito surveillance, and enhance community awareness of LACE. We trained educators in medical entomology, geospatial science, and science communication, and they incorporated those skills into lesson plans for a mosquito oviposition experiment that tested hypotheses developed in the classroom. Here, we share results from the first two years of the MEGA:BITESS academy, tailored for our community by having students ask questions directly related to <i>Aedes</i> mosquito oviposition biology and La Crosse encephalitis. In year one, we recruited 17 educators to participate in the project, and 15 of those educators returned in year two. All participating educators completed the academy, conducted the oviposition experiment, and informed over 400 students about a variety of careers and disciplines for their students. Here, we present a community-based program that helps to address the problems associated with long-term mosquito surveillance, health and science education and communication, career opportunities, and the community needs of Appalachia, as well as the initial data on the effectiveness of two years of an educator-targeted professional-development program.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/2/164mosquitosurveillancedistributionzoonosescollaborationeducation |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell Michael Camponovo Brian Smith Kurt Butefish Joshua M. Rosenberg Julie L. Andsager Corey A. Day Micah P. Willis Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community Insects mosquito surveillance distribution zoonoses collaboration education |
| title | Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community |
| title_full | Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community |
| title_fullStr | Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community |
| title_short | Development of a Community-Driven Mosquito Surveillance Program for Vectors of La Crosse Virus to Educate, Inform, and Empower a Community |
| title_sort | development of a community driven mosquito surveillance program for vectors of la crosse virus to educate inform and empower a community |
| topic | mosquito surveillance distribution zoonoses collaboration education |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/2/164 |
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