Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
25
Year:
2016
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- Lecture/ Briefing
- Radio Show
- 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:
1500
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
The Neuroscience Program at Weber State University located in Ogden, Utah organized local area events for Brain Awareness Week in March of 2016. More than 30 volunteers were recruited via flyers, word of mouth, and previous experience with Brain Awareness Week to teach about the brain. Weber State University’s program taught grades ranging from preschool up to high school-aged students. This year our PowerPoint demonstrations included lessons on brain anatomy and physiology, vision, perception, the dangers of drug abuse, and in particular, the importance of protecting your brain from traumatic brain injuries. Hands-on activities included instructions on how to properly dissect sheep brains through a PowerPoint and demonstrations. The use of “beer-goggles” and “concussion-goggles” were imperative to a “real-life” demonstration on how alcohol and traumatic brain injuries affect your balance, vision, and responsiveness. Many students from various educational backgrounds and opportunities were taught about the brain from Weber State University volunteers. This year, over 1,500 community students at 22 different schools and organizations were taught. Of those 22, 14 were Title I or after-school/outreach type programs. Schools such as Ogden Preparatory Academy, Boulton Elementary, and T.O. Smith Elementary provided a younger audience to be taught lessons. Organizations such as YMCA, Youth Impact, and Boys & Girls Club of America were provided similar lessons in their after school programs. North Ogden Junior High, Clearfield High School, and Ben Lomond High School were schools among the older audiences that were taught lessons.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Emails
- Press Release/Media Advisory
- Website
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!
- More Mindbogglers!
- BAW Pencils and Erasers
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- BAW Bookmark
- Puzzles: Grades K-2
- Puzzles: Grades 3-5
- Puzzles: Grades 6-8
- Mindboggling Coloring Sheets
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Fact Sheets
- Lesson Plans
- Activities/Experiments
Other Downloadable Materials:
- We desperately need more materials in Spanish!
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
Students and teachers were both assessed on effectiveness of the BAW program. Our immediate test of student gains in knowledge demonstrated that BAW was effective for teaching concepts. Teachers indicated that this effect lasted through the rest of the school year, and the exposure to college students had long-lasting effects.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
We reached out to Title 1 schools and found that our outreach there had the highest impact, and we had several students say that they had never met a college student.
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
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