Zack Kopplin facts for kids

Zachary "Zack" Kopplin (born July 20, 1993) is an American activist, journalist, and TV personality from Louisiana. He is known for his work to make sure that public schools teach real science, not ideas like creationism. Creationism is the belief that the universe and life were created by a supernatural being, which is not a scientific idea.

Zack has also worked to keep the government and religion separate. He has spoken out against school vouchers. These vouchers use public money to send students to private schools. Some of these schools might teach creationism instead of science.

When Zack was in high school, he got 78 scientists who had won a Nobel Prize to join him. They worked together against a law in Louisiana called the Louisiana Science Education Act. This law made it easier to teach creationism in science classes. Zack also cares about how much money is spent on science research and what is taught in school books. He has even started a campaign asking for more money for science and education.

Zack has been on TV shows like Real Time with Bill Maher. The host, Bill Maher, said Zack was the youngest guest ever on his show. MSN.com called Zack the "Doogie Howser of political activists." Many news places around the world have featured Zack. These include Vogue, The New York Times, and NPR.

About Zack's Life

Zack Kopplin was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His parents are Andrea D. Neighbours and Andy Kopplin. His dad, Andy, has worked for the city of New Orleans and for governors in Louisiana.

Zack finished high school at Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 2011. He then went to Rice University in Houston, Texas, and graduated in 2015.

Zack once shared on a radio show called Science Friday that he was born with anosmia. This means he cannot smell anything.

Fighting for Science Education

Stopping the Louisiana Science Education Act

When Zack was a senior in high school, he started a campaign to get rid of the Louisiana Science Education Act. Many scientists around the world said this law was really about teaching creationism. Zack ran his campaign using his website, RepealCreationism.

Zack worked with Louisiana State Senator Karen Carter Peterson. She is a Democrat from New Orleans. Senator Peterson tried twice to get rid of the law. She promised to keep trying "until we defeat this law."

Zack got help from a Nobel laureate (a scientist who won a Nobel Prize) named Harry Kroto. Together, they got 78 Nobel Prize-winning scientists to support getting rid of the law. Other famous scientists, like Kenneth Miller, also supported the effort.

Zack also got big science groups to help. This included the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is the largest science group in the world. He also got support from the Clergy Letter Project and the New Orleans City Council.

Improving Science Textbooks

Zack played a big part in getting the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to choose new life science textbooks. After the new books were chosen, a newspaper called the Baton Rouge Advocate wrote about him. They called the high school student "the newest giant-killer in state education policy."

Zack also led a campaign to stop Louisiana lawmakers from changing the board's decision about the textbooks.

Concerns About School Vouchers

Zack has also been involved in talks about how to improve education in America. He found many schools in Louisiana's school voucher program that were using creationist lessons. These schools were teaching creationism instead of science. Zack worked with the Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC. They showed that over 300 schools across the country were teaching creationism with public money from vouchers.

The Second Giant Leap Campaign

In 2013, Zack and a journalist named Lamar White started a group called Second Giant Leap for Humankind. This group wants the government to spend $1 trillion more on science research and development. They also want to stop laws that deny scientific facts. Zack wrote an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama. He asked the President to support the Second Giant Leap campaign.

Zack debated Stephen Moore from the Wall Street Journal on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. They talked about whether spending money on science is a good investment. Zack pointed out that Moore was not a scientist when Moore questioned some science grants. This part of the show became very popular online.

Challenging Michele Bachmann

According to the Huffington Post, Zack challenged politician Michele Bachmann. She had said that Nobel Prize-winning scientists supported creationism. Zack challenged her because he knew many Nobel laureates supported his campaign against creationism. A newspaper in New Orleans, the Gambit, also asked her about this when she was in New Orleans.

Awards and Recognition

Zack Kopplin has won several awards for his work. He received the National Center for Science Education’s 2012 Friend of Darwin Award. He also won the 2012 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in Education. He is one of only two people to win both of these awards.

In 2011, a New Orleans newspaper named him the 38th most important newsmaker in the city. The Houston Chronicle said Zack was one of the most interesting people living in Houston. In 2014, Zack received the Howard Schachman Public Service Award. He also got the Courage and Justice Award from LSU's Manship School of Journalism. Zack even helped inspire a Doonesbury cartoon about Louisiana’s law. He was named a "Truthdigger of the Week" in December 2012 by a website called Truthdig. Zack is also known as a "Foot Soldier" on the Melissa Harris-Perry show.

See also

In Spanish: Zack Kopplin para niños

• Academic Freedom bills
• Barbara Forrest
• Science education