The University of Evansville's Center for Innovation & Change is presenting weekly online challenges to groups or individuals who want to add something to the COVID-19 discussion. The first week’s winner is a group of students from well…everywhere.
“I am Ana. I am from Cartagena, Colombia and I am 17 years old.”
Ana and her group of friends are all connected in some way with the New York Academy of Sciences. We’re not using their last names because of their ages. I connected with them on a Zoom conference call last week.
The rest of the team members are: Suad from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nimra from Alberta, Canada, Mima from North Macedonia and three Americans, Justin, from Georgia, Jonah from California and Maybelline in Queens, New York.
Ana got an email blast from UE about the contest. She decided to enter a project that she and her friends had been working on. The challenge was simple. How are you communicating during the pandemic?
The group is developing an app that will allow people to communicate with each other about the pandemic, while ensuring that misinformation is kept out of the discussion. For now, they're using social mediato get the word out.
Ana said, “I think young are in their homes, in their houses, and they can take time to talk about COVID-19 with each other.”
Anna said the group has seen good engagement on topics like whether alcohol wipes or soap and water are better hand cleaners.
Nimra said, "I do think that people are focused on getting to understand the facts. I think the majority of youth are concerned about COVID, they are concerned about self-quaratine. But there ae groups of young people who aren't as connected, who stay within their group, who are still going out because they don't see themselves as being at risk."
She added, "I think that can be explained by the way the internet works. Often people with similar perspectives stay within their own communities. They only receive certain information that aligns with their own beliefs and they're not as willing to engage with the facts. It is those marginalized groups that I think don't take things like COVID as seriously."
Jonah thinks his generation is perfectly positioned to help solve this pandemic and prevent another one.
He said, “Ultimately, I think younger people are the ones who really understand this is the most. We understand that what we do kinda’ sets an example for the future and we’re the next generation. I feel like technology and everything is advancing so rapidly that this epidemic will be just an extremely good example for how we can deal with, and treat diseases that spread super quickly in such a connected world.”
The discussion turned to why COVID-19 has spread so quickly throughout much of the world. While the teens are well versed in the health reasons for the pandemic, they keyed in on economic and equality answers as the reasons it has spread.
Mima from North Macedonia, said despite the fact that distancing measures are in place, lower paid workers are still being crowded into factories every day. She said that is having an impact on young people in those homes.
“It’s usually those kids who don’t care about the rules and go to other people’s houses. I think that some of these measures are effective, but they’re not complete even here.”
Suad in Bosnia-Herzgovina said there are curfews in place now where he lives.
Maybelline in Queens said economics also play a role in who receives the greatest exposure to the virus at the current epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.
“A lot of youth in low income communities here in New York City, they’re being hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 solely because of their lack of resources, and their lack of education that causes them to not take it as seriously.”
In Colombia, Ana said there is a big segment of the workforce that survives only by what they are able to earn each day.
“We don’t have preparation, we don’t have training to confront this pandemic. If you stay in your home, you don’t eat.”
These young scientists are looking into how their app can be adapted to help diagnose diseases and give factual information on treatment. Erin Lewis, the interim director of the Center for Innovation & Changeat UE says the group showcases the goal of the weekly challenges.
Lewis said, “We want to share what people are doing so people can be inspired by them and maybe innovate themselves as well.”
Lewis said the COVID-19 related weekly challenges will continue until the pandemic is over.
