Brain Awareness Week: Projects, ideas and support
The annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW) will be taking place across the world from 16th - 22nd March 2020. Organised by the Dana Foundation, this is a week where organisations, universities, groups and schools run various activities that aim to increase the public's knowledge and awareness of brain research, making it an ideal time to let the public know the progress and benefits of neuroscience research. Here are some ideas and resources to help you prepare for it.
Universities
If you are part of a University, you can arrange demonstrations and talks for A-level or GCSE students, as well as events for the general public. One good example of this comes from the University of Leicester, who we are joining for this year's BAW.
Schools
If you work in a school, you could start discussions about the brain, the research that has been carried out and what has been found. You could also prepare long-term projects for the students to share with their class or the rest of the school. These are great for PSHE lessons, and also fulfil the UK Department for Education Teachers’ Standards 1.1, 1.4 and 1.8.
Useful resources
Dana Foundation's main Brain Awareness Week website. Great resources for planning your outreach, different ideas, tips, puzzles and extra help for teachers. If you don’t have the resources to arrange an event, there are ideas for raising awareness of the brain in other ways, for example through social media, advertisements and interviews.
Society for Neuroscience have lots of examples on how to get involved, with a webinar about the ABC's of BAW, a Brain Facts Book and different resources for educators from BrainFacts.org.
Do you want to do something a little different, but still related to neuroscience? There are the Photonics Workshops from Phablabs 4.0. This great for long term projects at school or home.
Microsoft STEM lessons also have a range of options. The robotic hand is an ideal project for BAW.
BackYard Brains have lots of projects that are relevant for both BAW and GCSEs. These were used by Scientifica during BAW 2019.
If you are running any activities or events for Brain Awareness Week, let us know and we can share your plans with the neuroscience community.
Take a look at how Scientifica have been involved in BAW in the past
- Scientifica engaged students during Brain Awareness Week 2019
- Scientifica inspires students during Brain Awareness Week 2018
- Scientifica's BAW visit fascinated the students at UCTC
We have more exciting activities planned for BAW 2020!
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