The Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles are a set of guidelines to inform Catholics on creating a fair and just society, upholding the dignity of every person and caring for the poor and vulnerable. These principles are more broadly linked to social justice by promoting actions that support equal rights for all people. To allow students to understand how Catholic Social Teachings and social justice issues can be linked to the field of microbiology, an assignment was created in an undergraduate microbiology course that asked students to choose a population protected by CST principles and identify an infectious disease that disproportionality affects this group. The students were then tasked with creating a public service announcement specifically designed to educate, and therefore empower, this target population. This assignment allowed students to understand the link between social justice and microbiology and empowered students to use their knowledge to bring about change.
