Communication of scientific and medical information and collaborative work are important skills for students pursuing careers in health professions and other biomedical sciences. In addition, group work and active learning can increase student engagement and analytical skills. Students in our public health microbiology class were required to work in instructor-assigned groups to research a human pathogen and associated disease, and to create a presentation appropriate for their classmates. Objectives of the project included building students' abilities to research and critically assess relevant scientific and medical information, increasing their scientific communication skills, and improving group collaboration skills. Another goal was for students to be the class "expert" on their chosen pathogen. Group projects were presented orally to the class, and in written formats as either posters or pamphlets. A peer evaluation was utilized to allow students the opportunity to evaluate their group's effectiveness. Students were surveyed after the projects for self-evaluation of content knowledge and confidence in scientific communication and research skills. Many students expressed enthusiasm for the project, and 96% and 65% of students reported increases in content knowledge and communication skills, respectively. We conclude that group projects are an effective means of delivering content while increasing students' confidence in science communication skills. (Contains 3 tables.)