Before COVID-19 reshaped the world, a middle school teacher in Florida reached out to a scientist in Boston to invite her to speak to his class. They had been discussing a recent Ebola outbreak in Africa and had questions for an expert. As the relationship developed among scientist Pardis Sabeti, teacher Todd Brown and his students, the idea emerged for a live, hands-on simulation that could help students see how infectious diseases spread — and how society can effectively respond.
What began as a middle school civics class experiment evolved into a dynamic, interactive educational initiative designed to spark and grow students’ interest in science and aid the fight against infectious diseases.
In 2019, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation provided an initial $1.5 million grant to support the development and pilot testing that allowed Operation Outbreak to move from paper prototypes to full-scale simulations. The following year, we expanded funding to enable the team to create additional educational materials, COVID-specific scenarios and educational interventions to support educators during the height of the pandemic.
Operation Outbreak has evolved well beyond the initial prototypes, significantly expanding its reach in middle schools and universities across the U.S. Their approach blends authentic science, storytelling and civic engagement, and it’s a perfect fit with our Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative.
Hosted on an iOS and Android app, the simulation guides students through a simulated outbreak of a fictional pathogen, “infecting” participating smartphones via Bluetooth. It helps participants understand both the biology of infectious diseases and the social dynamics of outbreak response.
Operation Outbreak teaches students the basics of outbreak containment and countermeasures, including downloadable, printable QR codes that trigger simulated interventions, including vaccines, masks and tests. It also equips students with strategic decision-making, leadership and collaboration skills — allowing them to act as doctors, contact tracers, media and government officials as they work together to track, contain and communicate about the simulated outbreak.
Educators play a critical role and are essential partners. They are adapting the curriculum and using the platform to spark curiosity, deepen scientific and data fluency, and encourage critical thinking about community and health.
“Engaging the next generation in science, equipping them to make evidence-based decisions, solve the world’s toughest challenges, and, above all, remain curious, are some of the most impactful things we can do in today’s world,” said Dr. Sabeti, whose team at the Broad Institute developed Operation Outbreak.
Catalyzing innovation
Since 2019, the foundation has invested more than $25 million which has enabled the
team to launch the mobile apps, educational resources and teacher training materials that connect science classrooms to real-world outbreak preparedness. The funding has also helped them to maintain and expand partnerships through the pandemic years, strengthening their global public health reach and bolstering collaborations among researchers, educators and public health agencies.
“While the importance of this tool may not have been obvious in 2019 before COVID swept the world, it was clear it was a compelling idea,” said Janet Coffey, program director of the foundation’s Curiosity-Driven Science Initiative. “Equipping educators and youth with engaging and scientifically authentic tools in science-rich contexts will help develop the next generation of problem solvers and curious citizens. What was particularly exciting about Operation Outbreak is that it is as compelling for science education as it is for public health.”
The Moore Foundation’s early and ongoing investment has been pivotal to Operation Outbreak’s development — catalyzing innovation in public health education and empowering the next generation to intelligently and collaboratively approach future public health crises.
“One of the greatest roles that philanthropy can play is to catalyze innovation, and Operation Outbreak is an ingenious approach that combines science, learning, and real-world problem-solving,” said Harvey Fineberg, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “It’s been rewarding to see how Operation Outbreak has blossomed from the seed of an idea into a full-fledged, vibrant tool to engage the public in science.”