Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
2
Year:
2018
Type of Events Held:
- Open House
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- General Public
- High School students(9-12)
- Middle school students(6-8)
Approximate Number of People Reached:
40 at Iowa State University & 1,098 at Science Center of Iowa
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
Brain Day for Kids at Iowa State University: Children and their guardians participated in Brain Day for Kids to learn about neuroscience with activities and games spanning the topics of neuroanatomy, sensation and perception, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and cognition. Examples of activities included squishy brain toss while wearing prism shifting goggles, mirror drawing challenge, creating pipe-cleaner neurons and circuits, and watching “Inside Out”, among other activities. The success of the event was made possible by not only the hard work of graduate and undergraduate students but also the major support of multiple neuroscience faculty. It is crucial that both faculty and students support and understand the importance community outreach to make these events successful. Neuroscience graduate and undergraduate students participated as volunteers in the event. Over 40 children and their guardians were in attendance. Girls in Science Festival at Science Center of Iowa: The Girls in Science Festival is an event put on by the Science Center of Iowa annually, which we were fortunate to participate in this year. The goal of the festival is to promote and engage interest in various STEM-related fields for young girls in elementary, middle, and high school in the state of Iowa. Graduate students displayed and coordinated a booth containing similar activities to “Brain Day for Kids” during the festival. There were over 1,098 children in attendance from a variety of age groups. The success of the event was made possible by our strong collaboration with the Science Center of Iowa. Their resources allow for our neuroscience outreach to reach the broader public in not only Des Moines, Iowa but also the entire state.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Advertisements
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Emails
- Posters/Flyers
- 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:
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About The Brain
- Brain-shaped Erasers
- Staying Sharp: Successful Aging and the Brain
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Puzzles: Grades K-2
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Puzzles: Grades 6-8
- Puzzles: Grades 9-12
- The Five Senses Coloring Sheets
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
- New Coloring Sheets
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?
Graduate students are better equipped in communicating their science to diverse audiences.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Plan ahead!
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
No
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
I went and liked the BAW Facebook page.
