Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
2
Year:
2017
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- Middle school students(6-8)
- Other
- Other: elementary school educators
Approximate Number of People Reached:
100
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
I organized a display of BAW promotional and educational materials for the teachers at a local K-6 elementary school. The materials were then used by the Health educator at the school for a variety of her own classes with each grade at the school. The objectives here were to expose the teachers to as much adult-level material as was easily available, as well as provide them with a number of brochures/activities that they could use with their students. I also conducted a focused session with the 3rd grade students at my school. We began by talking about the nervous system, and then we viewed a number of optical illusions, conducted a variety of sensory and motor tests (stimulus/response, reflex, reaction time, etc). We finished with guided dissection of preserved sheep brains. The goals here were to provide this class their first real exposure to the nervous system and neuroscience.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Mailings
- Posters/Flyers
- Website
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:
- It’s Mindboggling!
- BAW Pencils and Erasers
- The Mindboggling Workbook
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research
- Puzzles: Grades K-2
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Puzzles: Grades 6-8
- Puzzles: Mindboggling Series
- Puzzles: BAW Favorites
- Mindboggling Coloring Sheets
- Brain Briefs Fact Sheets
- Kids Fact Sheets Grades 3-5
- Kids Fact Sheets Grades 6-8
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Lesson Plans
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Flyer
- BAW Logos
- BAW Poster
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
The BAW events was very well received by the students, and their parents. They were still talking about it even weeks later. Holding this event has jump-started our discussions of forming a ‘science club’ at our elementary school.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Be aware that some (many?) localities now require state or federal clearances to interact with minors. Be aware that many schools also require, or at least recommend, using parental consent forms for participation, and may also require photo release permission as well.
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
(I’m not a user of Facebook)
