Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
whole week awareness campaign
Year:
2019
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- Lecture/ Briefing
- Other
- Other: email introducing the week to staff/faculty. put a pencil with a brain
- Other: eraser
- Other: a sticker
- Other: and bookmark
Target Audiences:
- Professionals
- Other: every adult working in the building
Approximate Number of People Reached:
175-200 (ran out of materials)
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
We (students in my special education math class and I) have been celebrating BAW for the several years. Students and I decided that we should share what we have learned with other teachers. We began the week by putting a pencil with a brain eraser in each teacher’s mailbox and sending an introductory email (using BAQ banner) to all staff,clerical,custodial employees in the building. We sent materials digitally, but also put hard copies (easier to grab) in two teachers’ room. We sent out the daily challenge. Many teachers showed great interest. Conversation starters were distributed. Next year we would like to include students (meaning 1600 pencils/erasers!) and have teachers highlight brain activity during class and use the units of study.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
- Mailings
- Posters/Flyers
- Website
- Social Media
Other Publicity Methods:
* offered the hashtags for the daily challenge - but teachers reported that they did not use them.
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 Pencils
- Brain-shaped Erasers
- Staying Sharp: Successful Aging and the Brain
- Other
Other Dana Foundation Materials Distributed:
- daily challenge
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research Fact Sheets
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Puzzles: Grades 6-8
- Puzzles: Grades 9-12
- Puzzles: Successful Aging & Your Brain
- Brain Briefs Fact Sheets
- The Five Senses Coloring Sheets
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- New Fact Sheets
- Activities/Experiments
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Flyer
- BAW Logos
- BAW Poster
- BAW Web site banner
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
Our Community embarked on a Math Literacy (Numeracy) campaign for the entire faculty. Many became aware of the negative bias found in everything from movies to their own conversations about math. The awareness component of the campaign was the most successful and the most enduring. We think that this awareness week is and will be equally enduring, but less successfully integrated into our work.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
We need a total awareness and an immersion experience to help others become completely aware of “what is happening in there”. I have had my own tag line for years… “talk to your brain. If you don’t talk to it then it won’t listen”
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
Yes
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
We need to integrate social media in our campaign- truly important if we want to reach students.
