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Early exposure to microbiology is often limited in many K-12 settings, which contributes to low awareness of microbes and microbiology-related career pathways. To support microbiology outreach and recruitment to our undergraduate Microbiology and Immunology program, we developed Microbe Memory Cards, a fun, interactive, and scalable educational game designed for community engagement and classroom use. The first card set that we developed focuses on commonly recognized bacterial pathogens that are familiar to most microbiologists, serving as an accessible entry point for younger students through visual recognition and name association rather than detailed mechanistic content. We selected a memory-matching game format since it encourages participation, collaboration, and curiosity in a low-pressure environment, making it particularly effective for informal science outreach events. While the initial card deck is intentionally simple and targeted toward younger learners, the project was designed to be modular and expandable to other microbiology topics to engage older or more advanced students. Microbe Memory Cards will be used in community outreach and educational settings as both a learning activity and a conversation starter, helping to normalize microbiology terminology and spark interest in the field. Preliminary outreach implementation demonstrated strong participant engagement and generated positive anecdotal feedback from learners and facilitators. Formal assessment using pre- and post-activity surveys is currently underway to evaluate changes in microbiology knowledge, interest, and perceptions of the activity. These findings will be presented at the conference. Overall, this project aims to use a game-based, adaptable educational tool to increase engagement, raise awareness of microbiology, and support recruitment efforts across a wide range of educational levels.
