Created by Congress in 2007, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA backed this free course with RTI International, a North Carolina research institute founded in 1958
In January 2025, a free middle school curriculum on the immune system and vaccines went live on Science of Immunity, an online platform from RTI International and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA. Dr. Raven Baxter wrote the curriculum and its lesson content.
The course covers vaccines from research through regulation. Its 5 modules and 16 lessons have students "dive into an exploration of the immune system and the intricate processes behind vaccine research and regulation," according to the platform. Its more than 30 videos include expert interviews about careers in the field. Students take part in discussions, projects and hands-on activities, and assessments check what they learned.
The course arrived as childhood vaccination slipped. In October 2024, the CDC reported that kindergarten coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine fell to 92.7 percent. Exemptions reached 3.3 percent, the highest ever reported. A month later, Pew Research Center found that 76 percent of Americans had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public's best interests. That was up from 73 percent in 2023.
The platform describes the course as "an engaging and interactive resource that aims to not only help students learn but also inspire critical thinking and foster curiosity about the multidimensional world of immunity, including the roles of vaccines." Its homepage credits Baxter directly. "Dr. Raven the Science Maven developed the curriculum and lesson content," it says. The lessons are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and North Carolina's 2023 K-12 science standards.
North Carolina science teachers helped shape the lessons. Baxter co-authored a research poster with researchers from RTI, the foundation and the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. It reported three rounds of focus groups with 11 invited educators. Teachers asked for hands-on, problem-based activities, short videos and lessons tied to students' daily lives. RTI presented the poster at the Science for All Summit, held by UNC-Chapel Hill's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on March 3 and 4, 2025.
Congress created the Reagan-Udall Foundation in the FDA Amendments Act of 2007. The foundation describes itself as "an independent 501(c)(3) organization" and "a crucial conduit between FDA and the public." It does not take part in regulatory decisions or advise the FDA on policy. RTI, an independent research institute founded in 1958 in Research Triangle Park, built the platform. The Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funded the project. The foundation gave contractual awards to RTI and to Baxter.
The Vaccine Makers Project at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia lists Science of Immunity among its teacher resources.
Baxter is a molecular biologist and science communicator. Her master's research at SUNY Buffalo State studied how antibodies find their targets, and she holds a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo.
Teachers can register for the free curriculum at Science of Immunity.
Dr. Raven Baxter reports from the launch of the Planetary Health Check 2026 at Climate Week NYC, where she interviewed climate scientist Johan Rockström and former Unilever chief executive Paul Polman.
Dr. Raven Baxter reports from the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, from the SDG Media Zone at UN Headquarters and the Unstoppable Africa business forum.
Dr. Raven Baxter reports from BiotechTV's first U.S. Science Summit in Kendall Square, where about 20 science creators joined biotech leaders on July 21, 2026.
