GREENVILLE - Greenville University received a grant from the Interfaith Youth Core to fund ongoing initiatives furthering access to and information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Interfaith Youth Core recently launched a partnership with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) to equip evangelicals to build bridges across religious divides by working together on social service projects. One of those social service projects involves leaders from across the country using interfaith cooperation skills to, “[Mobilize] college students on campuses across the country to address vaccine hesitancy and access in their local communities.”
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Greenville University Dean of Experiential Learning Danara Moore and Assistant Chemistry Professor Scott Pattenaude applied for and received the grant. Grant funds are used to recruit students, mentor them, and supervise projects through December. Project Manager and MBA student Kate Arthur will work with six GU students, who each receive a stipend of $1,500 and some also will receive coursework credit where applicable.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 38% of Bond County residents are fully vaccinated, as of the week of August 23, 2021. Arthur says the overall goal is to increase the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the county.
“To be able to provide more information to those who are hesitant, it’s a cool opportunity and I’m excited for it,” Arthur says.
To achieve their goal, the team is partnering with the Bond County Health Department (BCHD) to first conduct research on what the county’s disposition is toward the vaccine. The team includes students with varied educational backgrounds from biology to digital media, which Arthur says is vital for the variety of projects that are planned.
Project plans for the fall semester include hosting informational sessions and opportunities for open dialogue, setting up vaccine clinics on campus or around town, and working to improve the BCHD social media communication.
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