Aims of the characteristics of the IMiLI teaching resources
Resources	Purpose/Aim
Free availability for non‐commercial use	Global democratisation of societally relevant microbiology knowledge
A single set of resources for all age groups and teaching goals	Coherence, continuity, ease of transfer among educators, simplicity for life‐long learners: a one‐stop source
Provide knowledge of the workings of the biosphere, our bodies, our origins, our future	Understanding of biology, well‐being, our place in the world
Emphasis on exploration–discovery	Stimulation of excitement, curiosity, motivation
Teaching critical thinking	Informed decisions; countering bias
Teaching systems thinking	Appreciation of interdependence; improving problem‐solving effectiveness
Teaching stewardship and stakeholder participation	Creating awareness; promotion of civic responsibility
Teaching sustainability and relationship to decisions	Improving human, animal, plant, environmental and overall planetary well‐being
Teaching microbial technologies and their deployment to improve social equity	Revealing strategies and mechanisms to level up and reduce asymmetries in access to basic services
Involvement of family–friends	Amplification of interest and involvement; civic engagement
Networking: local–regional–national–global	Amplification of interest and involvement, accessing complementarities/synergies