Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
2
Year:
2022
Type of Events Held:
- Online/Virtual
- Workshop
Target Audiences:
- General Public
- Patients & Caregivers
- Professionals
- Seniors
Approximate Number of People Reached:
1000
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
In partnership with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), we held a pair of events exploring the neuroscience of dance and how neuroplasticity occurs during every phase of dance from learning to recovering from injury. The first event, on March 22, was a hybrid with the dancers and guest scientists in-studio at DTH, and virtual audience. The performance was live-streamed to YouTube and Facebook live and so far we have had 877 views. The second event, on March 29, was to be a more intimate workshop that engaged the virtual audience to move along with the dancers that were in studio and then engaged them in a conversation that focused on rehabilitation and recovery. We had about 100 participants join us through zoom.
Our objectives were to provide community members with opportunities to discover the neuroscience behind dance; provide interactive opportunities for audience members to ask questions, and learn movement skills and practical ways to implement what they learned; engage participants through both interactive in-person and virtual opportunities to create an intimate interactive environment and reach audiences as widely and inclusively as possible; focus on inclusion, tolerance, equity and diversity throughout the program. We met our goals in that we were able to provide an inclusive space for learning about science in a way that focused on basic human interest and then invited and encouraged curiosity. Participants were engaged and active throughout the performances and dialogues.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Advertisements
- Emails
- Mailings
- Posters/Flyers
- Website
- Social Media
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Resources
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Activities/Experiments
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?
We have been able to develop a unique and creative program aligning human interests and neuroscience. Having Brain Awareness Week as an anchor creates a pathway for this type of content and allows people to see the accessible nature of science. We have received immediate feedback in the form of comments during our programming from participants (and our partners) expressing how engaging the content is and how much they learned and are willing to share with others.
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Always create post-event surveys and use the partner’s platform to share them if possible. This creates a feeling of not “being studied” while still being able to capture important feedback. People really want to share their thoughts and it can help with future programming. Also, try to focus on what interests people and then uncover the science around that. It often leads to engaging and creative content.
