Grassroots Organizations : Students Prep America

# 1665

This week I've been highlighting the work being done by ordinary Americans in grassroots movements all over the nation to educate and inform the public on the dangers of pandemic flu.

So far I've covered Get Pandemic Ready, Prepared Citizens, and Readymom's, and today I'll highlight Students Prep America.

Dedicated to the task of reaching students on the prospects of a future pandemic, and how to deal with one, Students Prep America targets one of the highest risk groups during a pandemic; teenagers and young adults.

The bulk of bird flu infections, 90%, have been in people under the age of 40, and half of those were under the age of 20.

This grassroots movement is the product of Justin B. Kamen, Christopher A Baratta, and Alexander A. Diacou - all of Columbia University. Their rationale for creating this site is explained on their front page (slightly reformated for easier reading):

As students, we are influential members of vast and important communities: our college campuses. With thousands of people, including students, faculty and other staff, our universities must be prepared to act as community leaders in the event of a pandemic.

One example of a good university plan is that of Middlebury College, which both informs and outlines procedures for mitigating the effects of a pandemic on campus:

Besides canceling classes and evacuating, campuses should prepare to accommodate students and faculty members who may not be able to return home in the event of a pandemic due to quarantines and closing of borders, both internationally and locally.

A university like Columbia, which is home to many students from distant nations and states, should stockpile food, water and medicine for members of its community who may not be able to evacuate in the event of a prolonged disaster. You can see the Columbia University Pandemic Preparation website here.

Although directed at college students, faculty, and families of students, this site is a valuable resource for everyone.

All of these grassroots organizations have several things in common. They were created by concerned citizens after they learned of the pandemic flu threat. They are non-profit and non-commercial. And they are examples of people giving back to their community.

While individually, their impact may be small, when combined, they constitute a powerful and ever growing voice, one that may well end up saving many lives.

Salute!