Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
1
Year:
2017
Type of Events Held:
- Workshop
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- General Public
- Middle school students(6-8)
Approximate Number of People Reached:
55
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
The event “Your Sensational Brain” was targeted to 5-to-12-year-olds and was held on March 18th, from 1.30PM to 4.30PM, at the Children’s Resource Center (Children Library) at 913 Napoleon Ave. Through a series of interactive activities, a group of volunteer faculty and students from the Neuroscience Programs at the LSU Health Sciences Center and Tulane University taught the children interesting facts about the brain. Activities included: 1) Show and tell of various fixed brains (rat, cat, monkey and human); 2) Show and tell of brain and neuron models; 3) Demonstration with brain slices and stained neurons under a microscope; 4) Demonstration of the knee-jerk reflex, with children “behaving like neurons”; 5) Making models of brains and neurons with play-doh; 6) Coloring of brain and neuron templates. We also distributed materials from the DANA Foundation. The most successful activities were the observations through the microscope and of the real brains, which attracted many questions. The library also helped us by putting on display their books on brain functions. The feedback from children and parents was very positive and appreciative, and many people came to the library for the program itself. In this respect, the library personnel was very helpful in sharing the information about the event beforehand. From the first time we held this event at the Children’s library, the event has grown significantly in attendance, and for this reason we think we are achieving our goals.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Emails
- Posters/Flyers
- Press Release/Media Advisory
- Website
- Social Media
Other Publicity Methods:
Advertising from the public library
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:
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research
- It’s Mindboggling!
- More Mindbogglers!
- BAW Stickers
- BAW Pencils and Erasers
- The Mindboggling Workbook
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Puzzles: Mindboggling Series
- Mindboggling Coloring Sheets
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Fact Sheets
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
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?
The event was free and in a location that did not charge a fee, therefore more individuals were exposed to the activities. The feedback from the participants was very positive. The material from the DANA Foundation was very valuable and it will be a great keepsake for the participants. The library director has already started planning for next year event, thinking of the most appropriate date
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
For our program, the early afternoon times (2-4PM) work best
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
Yes
