Welcome to Operation Outbreak

An Infectious Way to Learn

A smooth, abstract gradient background featuring blended shades of blue, purple, green, and hints of pink creates a soft, dreamy atmosphere—perfect for themes inspired by Operation Outbreak.
Two students in white protective suits, masks, and gloves work together at a table during Operation Outbreak. One writes with a pencil on paper while the other looks on attentively, with science equipment and a whiteboard in the background.

What is Operation Outbreak?

Interactive Hands-On Learning.

At the heart of Operation Outbreak is an experience featuring a mobile app (iOS and Android) that spreads a fictional pathogen via Bluetooth across participating phones, offering a low-stakes simulation of a high-stakes scenario.

Operation Outbreak isn’t your average tabletop exercise. It’s a dynamic, interactive platform that fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and preparedness in the fight against infectious diseases. Using smartphones, participants engage in a shared experience that mirrors the complex nature of disease outbreaks.

Our Story

Core & Enhanced

Our two-tiered simulation suite engages participants where they are and elevates their understanding of outbreak science.

  • Level 1 Core
  • Level 2 Enhanced
  • Level 1 Core
  • Level 2 Enhanced
Two students in uniform, one in a green shirt and tie and the other in blue, are intently looking at a laptop together on a table while working on their Operation Outbreak project.
Two young women stand indoors during Operation Outbreak; one reads a sheet of paper intently while the other looks ahead, slightly out of focus. Both wear dark clothing, with other participants visible in the blurred background.
A gradient background fading from black at the top to a dark greenish hue at the bottom, with smooth transitions between the colors—perfect for an immersive Operation Outbreak theme.

Build. Engage. Review.

Experience a suite of tools in which creativity meets precision by customizing simulations, tracking analytics, and transforming data into actionable insights. Our groundbreaking approach to data management integrates creativity, monitoring, and dynamic visualization.

A simulation settings screen for "Operation Outbreak" showing options like simulation name, join code, population size, venue type, speed, simulation time, and start/end time. The "Gym/Auditorium" and "90 minutes" options are selected.
The Creator+
Facilitators can craft a personalized simulation that fits their needs using an intuitive interface.
A dashboard showing government funding allocation across Healthcare, Public Health, and Biomedical Research, featuring Operation Outbreak data, with graphs and options for distributing funds and tracking spending progress.
The Lookout+
Participants collect real-time information and analytics to track
and monitor data.
A dark Operation Outbreak dashboard displays a network of colored circles representing infection status, stats on interacting individuals, totals for infections and deaths, and multiple line graphs tracking outbreak data over time.
The Visualizer+
Participants engage with the data through interactive graphs, charts,
and dashboards.

Operation Outbreak in the Media

A young woman with long brown hair and blue eyes looks slightly up at the camera, wearing a light top and silver earrings. She is indoors with wooden chairs and a table in the background, appearing as if she's ready for an Operation Outbreak briefing.
Jackie Rocheleau FORBES

“The simulation data gathered in the past few years foreshadowed what the entire world would experience in 2020, and replicated what people have experienced in outbreaks of the past. But this tool doesn’t only show the destructive possibilities of infectious disease. The team is leveraging the platform’s capabilities to better address this pandemic and prepare for the next one.”

The image shows the Forbes logo in bold, black serif font on a transparent background.
A man with short hair stares forward with a neutral expression. Two blurred, ghost-like copies of his face appear on either side against a plain gray background, evoking the confusion and urgency seen during Operation Outbreak.
Gregory Barber WIRED

“The students came away with a sense of how messy it is when scientists, government officials, and citizens try to work together against a common foe.”

A minimalist black and white illustration of a dog sitting upright with its head tilted slightly upward and its tail curving along the ground.
A person with short dark hair, wearing a sleeveless top and small hoop earrings, smiles softly at the camera in a black-and-white portrait against a plain background, evoking the candid spirit of Operation Outbreak.
Katherine J. Wu The New York Times

“As part of the simulations, users can now toggle their epidemics to include diagnostic tests,masks, vaccines and other public health tools that curb and monitor the spread of infection. Eventually, schools and other organizations might be able to use the simulations as guides as they prepare to reopen for business.”

A person wearing a graduation cap and gown is jumping in the air with arms raised, holding a diploma. There are confetti and streamers above, celebrating the graduation achievement.
A woman with long brown hair and green eyes smiles at the camera. She is wearing earrings and sitting in front of a blurred green background, possibly after participating in Operation Outbreak.
Emily Anthes The New York Times

“The data revealed that while many students were being careful, there was a subset with a lot of social contacts—maybe even enough of them to fuel a larger outbreak.”

A person wearing a graduation cap and gown is jumping in the air with arms raised, holding a diploma. There are confetti and streamers above, celebrating the graduation achievement.
A man with short brown hair and a gray beard, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, stands in front of a wooden fence with a serious expression, as if preparing for Operation Outbreak.
Chris Berdik USA Today

“The value of pandemic education was suddenly evident. The data generated by simulations could serve as a guide for COVID-19 mitigation measures. In theory, a pandemic simulation could help school administrators show students and families the danger of superspreader events, or it could reveal the times and places where students had trouble staying socially distant.”

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National Geographic

“The activity guides hundreds of students on how to respond through a coordinated effort and use of technology while learning about biology and public health in the process.”

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Soft, abstract background with blurred shapes in green and violet on a white backdrop, creating a smooth, dreamy gradient effect inspired by the dynamic energy of Operation Outbreak.

Our Funding Partners

Operation Outbreak wouldn’t be possible without the incredible institutions and partners who support our mission. We’re proud to collaborate with leading research institutions, tech innovators, and public health organizations to create an immersive educational experience that helps prepare the next generation of outbreak responders.

A person in a wheelchair sits at a table working on a laptop, possibly researching Operation Outbreak, while another person stands nearby, offering assistance and pointing at the screen.
A silhouette of a cat sitting on its hind legs, facing left, with its tail curved downward and ears pointed upright—evoking the secrecy of Operation Outbreak—set against a plain, unadorned background.
The logo of The Rockefeller Foundation features a black globe grid design to the left of the foundation's name, written in bold black letters with "The" above "Rockefeller Foundation," resonating with initiatives like Operation Outbreak.
A smartphone screen displays the Operation Outbreak health app with a large smiling face icon labeled "HEALTHY," a countdown timer, and sections for protection and symptoms. The app interface features a green theme.
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