Back to School: How Mosquito Control Districts are Advancing Youth Education Programs

Community education is a cornerstone of integrated mosquito management (IMM). As back-to-school season begins, mosquito control districts have a timely opportunity to connect with students, families, and educators through hands-on vector education. From classroom visits and facility tours to mobile learning labs and internship programs, districts across the country are finding creative ways to make mosquito science engaging, memorable, and relevant to public health. This article highlights several of those efforts and the innovative outreach tactics helping advance mosquito education in communities nationwide.

District Tours

One tactic to get kids excited about mosquito control is through on-site interactive learning and field trips.

St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement in Louisiana hosts "Open Houses" to bring the community into their facility, demonstrating to the public what their tax dollars are funding and allowing them to ask questions about protection protocols. These events are pitched as family friendly, with larvae hunting, mosquito identification, and lab and insectary tours. Kids can "watch a drone demonstration, and get an up-close look at the plane, helicopter, trucks, airboats, and other equipment used in the field" (St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement).

Another district bringing kids on-site is the East Baton Rouge Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control Center. They bring school tours through their facility, including the laboratory, where they let students see mosquitoes in the lab, as well as their equipment and aircraft hangar. Students get to participate in interactive displays about the mosquito life cycle and control methods, like feeding larvae to minnows (WAFB, 2024).

"They do a really good job of connecting with schoolchildren and the community." — Gary Ross, South Central Regional Sales Manager for Central Life Sciences

Mobile Learning Lab

Morris County, New Jersey, recently outfitted a lab into a van to bring public outreach to the community. It is fitted with microscopes and other materials to teach biology and IMM. "Perfect for library pop-ups, municipal building pop-ups, school presentations, after-school programs, summer camps, gardening/outdoor clubs, and more! The lab is a nature education center on wheels." (Morris County, NJ) Van appearances are free. The program is focused on children aged 3rd grade and up, but all presentations include literature and can be customized based on the audience.

"It's really bringing outreach to people, which I think is fantastic. Physical outreach materials like brochures and flyers are always good, but I think this level of engagement — bringing outreach directly to a population — is amazing." — Jenna Mora, Northeast Regional Sales Manager for Central Life Sciences

Internships

Vector education goes beyond K-12, and many districts offer internship programs to college students to foster the next generation of mosquito control experts. The Collier Mosquito Control District in Florida invites a new group of students every summer. Interns gain hands-on experience in mosquito surveillance, disease monitoring, and public communication. "This is not a shadowing program. It's not something where they just get to show up and get a check mark, that they did an internship. They actually get to learn about medical entomology and mosquito control, and they get to be involved in the entire process of our operations," says Keira Lucas, deputy executive director of Collier County Mosquito Control (Gulf Coast News, 2026). Internships get students excited about science and public policy and give them the tools to make a difference in their communities.

Mosquito Museum

The Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, Florida takes outreach to a new level with the Disease Vector Education Center, aka the "Mosquito Museum". Located in St. Augustine, the center aims to be educational and engaging for kids and adults. Exhibits encourage visitors to "learn about mosquito habitats, life cycles, disease history, and cutting-edge control technologies" (Disease Vector Education Center). The center has an insect-themed playground and a real helicopter with a simulated ride over the county. The center is free for visitors and aims to be educational, while also providing space to play and relax. Featured as a "Thing to Do" on the Visit St. Augustine tourism website, the center encourages locals and tourists to learn about mosquitoes and their place in Florida's ecosystem.

"We take a lot of pride in bringing individuals to our district to go through this education center." — Dr. Whitney Qualls, Assistant Director at Anastasia Mosquito Control

Across the country, mosquito control districts use education as one of the most effective tools in integrated mosquito management (IMM). Whether they are welcoming students on-site, bringing learning directly into communities, creating internship pathways, or building immersive visitor experiences, these programs are helping shape a more informed public and a stronger future workforce. At every level, the message is clear: when communities understand mosquito control, they are better equipped to support it, participate in it, and benefit from it.

"We're in tune with the citizens we're there to protect. I think the larger the program, the more opportunities they have to do education platforms. But education is an integral part of IPM — integrated pest management — and mosquito management philosophies moving forward." — Mike Riles, Southeastern Regional Sales Manager for Central Life Sciences