Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
8
Year:
2021
Type of Events Held:
- Lecture/Briefing
- Online/Virtual
- Radio Show
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students (1-5)
- General Public
- High school students (9-12)
- Middle school students (6-8)
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
1,146
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
Our Brain Awareness Week activities looked a little different this year, due to the need to move our programming online, however, we were very excited that we were able to extend our enthusiasm about the brain into the virtual space. For our elementary students, we streamed four “Morning MiNDS” lessons every morning at 9am. These lessons covered the lobes of our brain, the cells that make up our brain, and our sensory systems. We also led our students through several fun experiments using the supplies we distributed in “experiment bags” that we sent home with the students at P.S. 171 Patrick Henry. For our middle and high school students, we streamed a sheep brain dissection and comparative anatomy lesson, where we took a look at the brains of mice, rats, dogs, bears, and humans. We also hosted a public lecture, “The Social Brain: Adapting during the COVID19 Pandemic”, where we talked about the neuroscience of social behavior and the impact of social distancing on mental health. Lastly, we launched a new podcast series, “Journey through the MiND: Exploring the Life of a Neuroscientist.” This podcast was sponsored by The Dana Foundation and featured conversations with faculty members at Mount Sinai about their day to day to lives. We dove into some of the pivotal experiments that they have undertaken during their careers and spoke more generally about the twists and turns of the research process. We are very proud of the traffic we were able to generate to our YouTube channel. Typically we serve the East Harlem community, however, this virtual format allowed us to extend our reach to other cities. By uploading videos, we are also excited that our content is readily available to anyone at any time.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
- Posters/Flyers
- Press Release/Media Advisory
- Website
- Social Media
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Resources
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Truth or Myth Flash Cards
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About the Brain Booklet
- More Mindbogglers! Booklet
- The Mindboggling Workbook
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?
Transitioning our BAW program virtually was a challenge, but one that came with unforeseen rewards. To host our programming, we launched a YouTube channel. We now have 102 subscribers with 1,146 views on our videos and the creation of this channel has allowed us to expand our reach. We are also thankful that this virtual format forced us to create a permanent set of content. Now, when we speak to families at Science Fairs we will have an online portal of resources to point them towards.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
We found that when building online, video recorded lessons, we received the best reviews on our videos that were kept in the 15-25 minute range. We received a lot of verbal feedback that these durations were ideal for concentration.
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
Yes
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
We love the images and articles that are posted.
