Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
Book signing for 2nd book--Aurora's Brain. Will sell 3rd book--Aurora's Dream on Amazon & at Barnes & Noble
Year:
2016
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- Lab Tour
- Lecture/ Briefing
- School Program
- TV Show
Target Audiences:
- Middle school students(6-8)
- Other: Elementary
- Other: Middle School students and everyone with a brain!
Approximate Number of People Reached:
For 3,000 to 5,000 students and friends I raised the concept of the "brain" to the conscious level!
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
I have been a brain researcher as a lay person since 1978 when I was in a coma for three weeks following an auto accident. I forgot everything I ever learned or knew. I had to reprogram my empty brain and in the process I gained the “inside story”, so to speak, on how my brain works and could draw it. My father died three years after my accident after surgery to remove a brain tumor. It seemed as though God chose our family to experience some of the worst things that could happen to a healthy brain. With his memorials I initiated a brain exhibit at the Muncie Indiana (Middletown USA) Children’s Museum with the help of doctors, nurses, and educators. WIPB filmed classes going through the Brainbow Learning Center exhibit and it was written up in the Peanut Butter Press. I created, developed and taught an elementary curriculum, Thinking: You & Your Brain. I taught that for three years in every elementary grade and type of school in Muncie. We held a musical concert, Brainbowpourri, for all my students where we divided our “music” neuron into three parts–classical, popular, jazz–with each type of musician performing! My Indpls Board of Directors helped me design a traveling brain exhibit–Exploracranium–with the prestigious Jack Rouse Associates. JRA also designed Exploracranium kiosks for use at schools, libraries, health centers and children’s museums. Each kiosk has 8 panels of “Circlatin”, the picture language I created and used to teach myself to think again after coma. On top is a colorful fabric brain complete with lobes and fissures! My present avenue to share my cerebral insights is to write books–Brainbow, Aurora’s Brain, Aurora’s Dream. All products at MyBrainbow.com. Students call me “the brain lady” now!
Event Planning & Publicity
Other Publicity Methods:
Used my father's memorials to initiate Brainbow Learning Center at Muncie Children's Museum. The exhibit lead to Muncie schools letting me develop and teach "Thinking: You & Your Brain" curriculum. Friends interested to read my books and I hope others will be through Amazon and Barnes & Noble now.
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Feedback & Keys to Success
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
The main thing I have learned from becoming a brain researcher is that we need to make people more aware of their brain, in awe of it, how it works, and how to protect it. Too many abuse drugs, nicotine, alcohol, and food rather than learn how to use them in a healthy way. If it were up to me I would restructure education today around the brain. The brain is the seat of learning, so why not start with the brain?
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
I don’t use Facebook.
