Submitted by eschneider on
AmeriCorps staff

Calling on Schools of National Service to Join the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge


College students are packing up their belongings, planning their fall course schedules, and getting ready to take their seat in lecture halls from coast to coast. Soon they’ll be back on campus—in person.

With thousands upon thousands of young adults migrating back to universities, community colleges, and technical schools, vaccinating this hyper-mobile, exceptionally social generation is top of mind for many—including the White House’s COVID-19 Taskforce.

That’s why President Biden launched a new initiative to make it as easy as possible for college students to get vaccinated, and help educate their classmates about the importance of vaccines.

AmeriCorps, eager to keep our young adults—and everyone they encounter—healthy, invites its Schools of National Service partners, colleges, and universities across the country to join the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. Participating colleges commit to taking three key actions to help get their campus communities vaccinated: engage every student, faculty, and staff member; organize their college communities; and deliver vaccine access for all.

Students are also being asked to answer the call to help their peers get vaccinated.

Recently, the Biden Administration launched the COVID-19 Student Corps, a program within COVID-19 Community Corps specifically focused on students. Student Corps members will receive resources to help build vaccine confidence in communities, including:

  • Biweekly calls to learn best practices and hear from other students how they are talking to their friends, families, and other community members about getting the vaccine

  • Fact sheets on vaccine safety and hints for planning and attending community events

  • Social media content to share with followers

  • Regular email updates with the latest vaccine news and resources to share

Learn more and register for Student Corps. Be sure to note that you are a student in the drop down to receive student-specific communications.

Since January, with just 5 percent of Americans having received at least one vaccination, the Biden Administration has sprinted to reach nearly 160 million people fully vaccinated. Visit vaccines.gov to find where to go, how to get there, and how you can help spread the word to others in your

neighborhoods, networks, and friend groups. Need help finding a vaccine in the U.S.? Call 1-800-232-0233.   

If you are looking for other ways to help, visit the We Can Do This website hosted by Health and Human Services for easy ways to promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence, encourage prevention, and support our partners' efforts to reach their communities. 

This summer, let’s make sure students get back to school safe and healthy. Take the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. 

Is your campus not yet a member of Schools of National Service? Visit our dedicated resource page to learn more.