Brain Awareness Day is a free, volunteer-based outreach event organized by students in Weill Cornell Graduate School’s Neuroscience program. Graduate students travel to local NYC public elementary schools for a portion of the school day to teach students about the wonders of their brains. Our main objective is to introduce students to basic neuroscience concepts using interactive displays, games, and tactile experiences to keep children curious and engaged. The purpose of these events is to bring scientific programming to schools within our community, with the broader aim of reducing inequities in STEM and fostering long-term interest in science.
Brain Awareness Day events focus on teaching students basic concepts of neuroscience, including learning and memory, neural morphology, sensation, brain structure and function, and reaction time vs reflexes. These concepts are conveyed to students using five separate stations that each include an interactive activity and key takeaways for students to absorb the learning objectives. For example, to teach students about neural morphology, the station will feature an activity to “build your own neuron” using pipe cleaners. This tactile activity creates a fun and memorable experience that allows students to remember the parts of the neuron by sparking their artistry.
Neuroscience outreach is uniquely valuable for young children because it gives students a windowinto how their own brain works - how they experience sensations, move their bodies, and store memories - yet neuroscience educational content is rarely included in elementary school curricula. Brain Awareness Day addresses these gaps by bringing interactive neuroscience programming directly into classrooms, while fostering long-standing relationships with local schools. Through repeated engagement and representation from a diverse group of PhD volunteers, we aim to show students that science is accessible, welcoming, and something they can see themselves pursuing.
