University of California San Diego

We had classroom visits to jr. high students from three local schools to which we virtually brought in neuroscience PhD students to do a series of virtual modules to teach the kids about neuroscience and the brain. The students were very excited and engaged. We did one event with local community college students which first included a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Miller, who studies the neuroscience of mindfulness. This included both a discussion on the history and current standings of the field as well as a guided session on mindfulness. The second part was a panel of neuroscience graduate students who talked about being a researcher, current work in neuroscience and their journey. This event went very well and those who attended got a lot out of it. In partnership with the Scripps Research Institute and leaders of the San Diego Brain Bee chapter, we helped put on an event for high school students that had multiple components. The first was on neuron and brain anatomy and function, followed by a presentation on imaging methods in neuroscience. This was followed by a presentation by a survivor of a major traumatic brain injury (TBI) on TBI as well as the importance of brain health. Next we had a session on sensory perception and optical illusions followed by a virtual tour through a research lab. Lastly we had a panel of scientists who discussed topics such as current neuroscience research, how to become a scientist, general questions the students had, etc. This event went very well. The last event we had was a science family night with elementary students and their families. This included a presentation on neuron anatomy/physiology including a “build a neuron” craft, which was followed by neuroscience trivia.

Given the craziness and uncertainty of the past year, it has been very difficult to continue doing neuroscience outreach with local students, but having this support and sense of community who are still striving to educate people about the brain really offered the push we needed to do such an incredible event. The students really loved being able to interact with actual scientists and learn about research and the brain.

It’s never too early to start planning, and ALWAYS double check that your technology is working properly before doing a virtual event.