Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
10
Year:
2017
Type of Events Held:
- Conference/Forum
- Lab Tour
- Lecture/ Briefing
- School Program
- Symposium
Target Audiences:
- General Public
- High School students(9-12)
- Middle school students(6-8)
- Professionals
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
Ca. 750 listeners (90-200 daily); mainly undergraduates from ~12 institutions (47.3%). Other groups included PhD students (13.3%), psychologists (16.0%), neuroscientists (6.8%), teachers (7%).
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
BAW «In the Face of Addiction» based on a set of 12 everyday lectures on addiction problems grouped in specific topics. Day 1: basics review (lectures «Contemporary view on addictive disorders», and «Behavioural addictions: are they a problem or a habit?»), Day 2: prophylaxis and resistance («Psychological support in prevention of addictions», and «Brain and environment: what is more important in prophylaxis of addictions?»), Day 3: possibilities of cognitive control («Neuromarketing as a modern approach to analyse compulsive behaviour»), Day 4: chemical addictions («Dependence on «legal» drugs: statistics», «Alcohol abuse: brain mechanisms, and the treatment strategies», and «Marijuana: specificity of addiction»), Day 5: non-drug dependence («Cyberpathology: addicts of virtual reality», and «Neurobiology of food addiction»), Day 6: hypnotics addiction risk symposium («Sleep and disease», «Non-drug vs hypnotics possibilities of insomnia treatment», and «Sleep disorders and rehabilitation»). For the interested people we organised an excursion to the labs involved in addiction studies (Department of Psychopharmacology, Valdman Institute of Pharmacology). Additionally talks were given in schools throughout the Week (“Healthy life” for 8th-9th graders, and “Modeling of addictive behaviour” for 10th-11th graders). The slam competition of young scientists finalised the BAW. Slam is the competition among 10-min talks where the winner is defined by a noise level of applause. Slam talks were «Autism, will, addiction», «Sensitisation: why smoke in the company?», «Compulsive behaviour: why smoke at stops?», «Why schizophrenics smoke?», «Invisible epidemic: why we do not control HIV infection?» (winner of the competition).
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Advertisements
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Posters/Flyers
- Press Release/Media Advisory
- Website
- Social Media
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Resources
Of the Dana Foundation publications/resources distributed at your event(s), if any, please indicate the three most popular. Please choose up to three. If "other," please indicate below:
- BAW Stickers
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Fact Sheets
- Other
Other Downloadable Materials:
- e.g. postcards "10 brain facts about.." and infographics
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
We planned BAW “In the Face of Addiction” to provide comprehensive knowledge on addiction brain mechanisms, risk factors, and possible control, and this main goal was achieved. On the last days we asked visitors to fill in the questionnaires and mark: the best lecture, liked or disliked events, and useful talks. In sum 78% of attendees considered BAW events useful; 89% liked it. We received a lot of warm regards and thanks in the questionnaires.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
The essential role belongs to the clear Program and preliminary announcements of lectures or events.
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