Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
We went to 23 different schools; some had multiple events, though
Year:
2015
Type of Events Held:
- Exhibit
- Lecture/ Briefing
- School Program
- Workshop
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- High School students(9-12)
- Middle school students(6-8)
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
1200
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
Brain Awareness Week Report: Weber State University 2015 The Neuroscience Program at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah organized local events for Brain Awareness Week 2015. The program recruited roughly 40 students from the university to volunteer at local K-12 grade schools to teach students about the brain. Included in this year’s events were PowerPoint lessons regarding brain anatomy & physiology, perception, the dangers of drug abuse, and the importance of protecting your brain to avoid traumatic brain injury. Students were also instructed how to properly dissect a sheep-brain through lecture and demonstration. Using “beer-goggles”, some students even got to see how alcohol impairs your balance, vision, and responsiveness. The Neuroscience Program reached out to students from a wide range of ages and educational backgrounds. In total, the program taught over 1,200 students at 23 different schools and organizations. Lessons were taught to younger students at schools such as Gramercy Elementary School, Ogden Preparatory Academy, as well as organizations such as YMCA, Youth Impact, and Boys & Girls Club. Lessons were also taught to older students at schools such as North Ogden Jr. High, Roy Jr. High, Clearfield High, and Fremont High School. The Neuroscience Program also reached out to disadvantaged members of the community by volunteering to teach at organizations such as Ogden Outreach.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Emails
- Posters/Flyers
- Website
- Social Media
Other Publicity Methods:
We called schools that we had worked with in the past.
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!
- BAW Stickers
- BAW Pencils and Erasers
Other Dana Foundation Materials Distributed:
- the Spanish version of Mindboggling from last year
What downloadable materials from the Foundation did you use for your events?
- BAW Bookmark
- BAW Certificate of Participation
- Puzzles: K-12
- Puzzles: BAW Favorites
- Mindboggling Coloring Sheets
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Fact Sheets
- Lesson Plans
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
- New Coloring Sheets
- Other
Other Downloadable Materials:
- PPT presentations
- brief videos
- etc.
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Logos
- BAW Bookmarks
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
This has been beneficial for the students, as it has definitely helped solidify their knowledge about the the nervous system. For our community, it helped kids of all ages learn about how to protect their brain through wearing helmets, not using drugs, and getting proper nutrition. In addition, it helped expose low SES kids to college students so that they can see what it is like to be in college.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
We gave out “Save the Date” cards to teachers so that they can use it over the summer to start planning. We think this will be more effective than asking them to do something during their school year. In addition, we had little squeezy brains made with our logo and website on there, and we gave one to each teacher that we presented with. This will remind them about who to contact in the future.
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
No
Quotable comments which capture successful aspects of your event(s):
We had many kids who were from underrepresented groups talk about how they want to go to college and be a scientist. It was very rewarding to see kids who had never thought about college before start thinking about themselves in college. Our presentations went to Title I schools and after school programs, and we offered some presentations in Spanish. I think the kids loved hearing about the brain in their native language.
