1. Introduction/Overview High School Student Enrichment Undergraduate Student Enrichment Graduate Student Enrichment
The department of Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University has provided Brain
Awareness Week activities to local Fort Collins middle and high schools for over 10
years. Each year, we strive to improve the program and currently provide enhanced
neuroscience learning opportunities for over 500 high school students in the community.
In addition, both undergraduate and graduate students at CSU have the chance to
participate in an experiential learning process that deepens their understanding of
neuroscience, enables them to teach in a small group setting, and emphasizes the
importance of giving back to the local community. Typically our largest BAW event is
held at Rocky Mountain High school. We have worked with the Wellness Team at this
high school for several years and have a very well developed program; the high school
has a week-long event that includes daily activities, games and competitions for the
students. On the last 2 days of the week, CSU volunteers present 12 interactive
neuroscience stations at the high school. These stations range in topic from
neurological diseases and mechanisms to how sensory systems function. Each station
includes an informative poster and at least one interactive activity related to the topic.
Prior to the event, CSU students are trained to present the material and lead the high
school students through the activities. The benefits to high school, undergraduate and
graduate students are varied and are the focus of this presentation.
Brain Awareness Week activities educate
middle, high school and university students
Middle and High school students:
• Learn about the nervous system, diseases that affect the nervous system and brain
research
• Interact with university students and faculty, thus learning about careers and
educational opportunities in neuroscience
CSU students:
• Increase their knowledge about neuroscience and research
• Learn how to teach neuroscience concepts to younger students
• Interact with CSU’s BAW faculty outside of the classroom
• Some students develop new stations and activities based on CSU coursework or
personal interests
Learning about neuroscience through fun,
interactive activities
Creating new stations to help fulfill
requirements for various programs at CSU
Learning about the differences between
nervous systems in various animals and
how animal models are used to study
neuroscience
The students become the teachers through
interactive stations
Left panel: Graduate student Ben Johnson helps high school students understand
action potential propagation and myelination using a jumping activity and carpet
squares. Right panel: Undergraduate student Robyn Christine helps high school
students see their taste papillae using vanilla ice-cream
Left panel: Graduate student Jimmy Singh explains how fruit flies can be used to
study the neuromuscular junction. Right panel: Undergraduate student Erin Peter
explains differences between the brains of various animals relative to behavioral
needs. High school students are allowed to pick up and examine the brain specimens
at the table and CSU students encourage them to ask questions. High school
students with a wide variety of backgrounds visit and learn from our stations.
Left panel: Kyleigh King created this station covering the effects of diabetes on the
nervous system as part of her Presidential Leadership Program. Other CSU
students have created new stations as part of their undergraduate honor’s thesis.
Right Panel: Derek George created a booklet describing our BAW program for the
project requirement in his “Writing in the Sciences” class at CSU.
Left panel: Taylor Den Hartog explains visual perception using optical illusions.
Right Panel: Joe Felton talks about taste, smell and flavor to a group of students.
Left panel: Master’s student Davis Witt explains how to present the visual
perception station two two undergraduate students.
Right Panel: Master’s student Alyssa Grossnickle presents the poster that she and
another student re-created for Brain Awareness Week. She and Nathan Byers, a
PhD student, researched Alzheimer’s Disease, found pictures to illustrate concepts
and put together this poster to replace an outdated poster.
Teaching undergraduate students how to
present stations to younger students and
improving or re-creating posters
Facing the challenge of researching and
talking about difficult topics
Left panel: Master’s students Warren Hayashi and Brad Jones explain epilepsy and
seizure disorders to two high school students.
Right Panel: Master’s student Alex Zuelke talks about how Ecstasy affects
neurotransmission and how this leads to the affects associated with the drug.
For further information about Brain Awareness
Week activities at Colorado State University,
please contact Leslie Stone
(Leslie.Stone-Roy@colostate.edu)
970-491-3801
Chelsea Samini and Travis Spear enjoy a break in-between student groups
Graduate student Mallory Shields
shows multiple stages of Drosophila
to a group of students