Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
50
Year:
2016
Type of Events Held:
- Conference/Forum
- Lab Tour
- Press Briefing
- Radio Show
- School Program
- TV Show
- Workshop
- Other: cognitive assessments
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- General Public
- High School students(9-12)
- Other
- Patients & Caregivers
- Professionals
- University students
- Other: entrepreneur
- Other: educators
Approximate Number of People Reached:
2000
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
For the first time in Sicily, we met with people from the general public who were greedy to increase their knowledge, clarify their doubts and satisfy their curiosity about the brain and its functioning. The event by University of Messina was probably the one with the highest positive RSVP rate, and it involved trials and practical demonstrations of the most common neuroscience techniques and tools. Highly demanded was the cognitive assessment of memory and attention for adults (>50 y.o.) which aimed to provide an insight in mnesic functioning. We also informed people about the fact that emotional states or particular physiological arousal can interfere with the quality and quantity of memories we store. Much appreciated and shared by parents, children and educators was the meeting were we used the Inside Out cartoon characters. to introduce children to emotions. We spoke with teenagers about the importance of the helmet and the safety belt in order to prevent TBI. We also gave a lecture on good habits that allow us to keep our brain in good shape (excercise, healthy food, mental fitness, relaxation). We went through the last results on autism research with parents and educators and explained educative strategies and tecniques to improve children development. Our events were shared on social media and local press and, after the BAW week, we’ve been invited to a local TV program to talk about the results. Thanks to the BAW events arrangement we could meet and work with colleagues and other professionals and improve our team skills and knowledge.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Posters/Flyers
- Press Release/Media Advisory
- 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:
- It’s Mindboggling!
- Staying Sharp Bookmark
- BAW Buttons
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- BAW Bookmark
- BAW Certificate of Participation
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Fact Sheets
- Lesson Plans
- Activities/Experiments
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Logos
- BAW Web site banner
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
We met people from different backgrounds and shared with them our passions about brain and research.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Involve as many people as possible to plan events and start with a few months in advance.
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
Yes
Was the information provided on Facebook useful?
Yes, it was helpful.
