NCSE was prominent in a CNN article (May 28, 2020) discussing the public understanding of science during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic is provoking science teachers to take a broader perspective, according to NCSE Teacher Ambassador Blake Touchet, a high school biology teacher in Maurice, Louisiana: "It's important that [students] understand how the process of science works, so that they can continue growing and learning even when they're out of school." Touchet told CNN that he emphasizes the importance of evaluating the credibility of the sources of purported scientific information and the significance of scientific consensus.
NCSE's executive director Ann Reid commented that, owing to the decentralization of American education, "The science education that kids get can vary enormously from one place to another," especially with regard to socially controversial topics such as evolution and climate change. She explained that NCSE's community outreach efforts are currently directed to providing out-of-school learning opportunities in what she described as "science deserts" in both rural and urban areas across the country.
"That Tony Fauci should become a rock star," Reid added, "suggests to me that there's a lot of hunger out there to have good, accurate, understandable science information."
Check out NCSE’s series explaining the science involved in the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to receive our coronavirus update each week.
