Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
3
Year:
2019
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- Lecture/ Briefing
- Other
- Other: Hands On Interactive Displays at Local Museum
Target Audiences:
- General Public
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
>350
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
This year, we expanded our BAW events to include the following: 1. Dr. Max Fletcher, Associate Professor, UTHSC Memphis, TN served as our featured academic speaker and presented his olfactory research on 3/19/2019 at UT Martin. Approximately 50 students, faculty, and staff attended. 2. To stress the impact of chemistry on neuroscience during “The Year of the Periodic Table”, a BAW display at the UT Martin Paul Meek Library for the month of April included a write up of the work of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Roderick MacKinnon for his elucidation of potassium channel structure. The display also featured a wide variety of neuroscience-based books available on campus. 3. The 4th annual Brain Awareness Day occured on April 6th at The Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN. Over 25 UT Martin students, faculty, and staff led hands-on activities at six neuroscience stations set up throughout the facility. Themes included brain safety, the neuron, senses and perception, and sheep brain dissection. In addition, a military and neuroscience station stressed hearing loss, PTSD, TBIs, neurotoxins, etc. to coincide with the facility’s Miliary History Day. More than 300 adults and children participated.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
- Press Release/Media Advisory
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
- More Mindbogglers!
- Staying Sharp Bookmark
- BAW Stickers
- BAW Pencils
- Brain-shaped Erasers
- The Mindboggling Workbook
- Staying Sharp: Successful Aging and the Brain
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About Brain Research Fact Sheets
- Puzzles: Grades K-2
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Brain Briefs Fact 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 Flyer
- BAW Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
The students and faculty gained knowledge about current neuroscience research from our guest speaker and our alliance with The UT Neuroscience Institute was strengthened. At The Discovery Park event, students benefited from the interaction with the public and from teaching others about the nervous system.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
The more hands-on activities for the public the better. The most challenging aspect is coming up with hands-on appropriate activities for 3-6 years.
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