Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
15
Year:
2022
Type of Events Held:
- Lecture/Briefing
- Online/Virtual
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students (1-5)
- High school students (9-12)
- Middle school students (6-8)
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
352
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
The University of Washington (UW) Brain Awareness Week (BAW) program took place during the months of March 2002 and April 2022 to connect our research community with precollege students and teachers.
Our goal was to introduce young students to neuroscience research and the educational resources we have developed. To accomplish this goal, we created the UW BAW Speakers Bureau where teachers could request a neuroscientist who could speak with their students about their careers and the field of brain research.
Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 and uncertainty surrounding health and safety guidelines, we provided speakers and teachers with the option to select whether they would be comfortable with an in-person or a virtual presentation. A web site was created that listed neuroscientists in the Speakers Bureau (https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bawspeakers.html); 11 speakers, ranging from undergraduate and graduate neuroscience students to UW faculty members participated. Prior to actual school presentations, UW BAW speakers met on February 23, 2022 via Zoom to discuss BAW, best practices for presentations, and available resources. The 11 members of the UW BAW Speakers Bureau made a total of 15 presentations (12 virtual presentations and 3 in-person, school presentations).
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
- Website
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Resources
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- New Lesson Plans
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- Brain Awareness Week Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
Teachers who requested a speaker from the UW BAW Speakers Bureau were grateful for the time and effort of presenters. New connections between local schools and the UW Neuroscience community have been established that may continue even after BAW is over. The Speakers Bureau also attracted new neuroscientists who were looking to participate in outreach.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Plan early.
