Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
1
Year:
2022
Type of Events Held:
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- High school students (9-12)
Approximate Number of People Reached:
30
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
On March 15th, 2022, 30 motivated 1st-year science students were sent on a mission of identifying the next (fictional) drug for Parkinson’s disease. In an Escape Room style challenge, the students had to work their way through four different “stations” solving different problems, by use of scientific techniques commonly used in neuroscience research. These included detecting the activity of their own nerve cells by use of a spiker box, examining stained microscope slides, observing a mouse behavior test and rerecording their observations and calculating the effect of different drug candidates.
Our objective was to illustrate the journey of a scientific idea from fundamental neuroscience over patient trials and translational research to clinical innovation and to show the wide range of competencies and techniques needed to find treatments.
Throughout the day, 15 PhDs and postdocs from BRIC acted as instructors and tutors, answering questions about the concrete tasks and about neuroscience in general, meaning that each student was in close contact with a researcher during the event.
The students showed great interest and engagement throughout the programme and had lots of relevant question both about neurodisease and about “life as a researcher”.
During a feedback session, students and teachers expressed satisfaction with the event. The students experienced the tasks as challenging, but also fun and exciting, and because they were so different, they were able to engage different groups of students. The access to equipment that schools do not have and the chance to engage with role models was also highlighted.
In total, it was a fun and rewarding day that met our objectives.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
Resources
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Activities/Experiments
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- Brain Awareness Week Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
Designing and preparing the event has provided a great outreach training opportunity for our young researchers who have learned new ways of communicating their research and discovered how rewarding it is to do outreach.
For the participants, the event meant an opportunity to experience in praxis what is taught theoretically in school. Also, the event gave students a chance to engage with role models in the form of young researchers.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Close interaction between students and researchers is very important and we therefore recommend having at least 1 researcher per 3 students (for practical exercises). Also, including a gaming element, as we did in our escape room challenge is a motivation factor for students.
