University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Public Engagement

One mission of the Neuroscience program is to promote interaction and dialogue between NSP members and the community at large, with the goals to increase science literacy and accessibility in the public, to generate collaborations based on real-world problems, and to heighten excitement and passion for science in students, especially those typically underrepresented in scientific fields. The Neuroscience program hosts several opportunities that allow students, post-docs, and faculty to share research ideas with the public and for the public to gain expertise in neuroscience content and methods.

Forums range from single-day events such as our annual Brain Awareness Day to courses for senior citizens and curriculum development for middle and high school biology classes. Please see our list of current opportunities below and click on the links to access more information. Contact NSP Outreach Coordinator Donna Korol (dkorol@illinois.edu) or Public Engagement Associate Barbara Hug (bhug@illinois.edu) for more information about how to get involved or how to invite neuroscientists to your classroom or event.

Annual Brain Awareness Day
Each year since 2001 the Neuroscience program has held a brain science fair at a local venue. Aligned with the international Brain Awareness Week sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience (www.sfn.org)and the Dana Foundation (www.dana.org), the NSP Brain Awareness Day has grown into a much anticipated community event where children and adults engage in interactive exhibits to learn about the structure and function of the brain in health and disease. Exhibits are created and run by undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, and faculty from the NSP and the College of Education. The event is always free and open to the public.

Brain Awareness Day 2012 will be held on Saturday, April 14 from 1-5 pm at the Orpheum Children's Science Museum (orpheumkids.com).

Project NEURON
In 2009, Drs. Barbara Hug (PI) from the College of Education, Donna Korol (coPI) from the Neuroscience Program, and George Reese (coPI) from the Office of Math, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE) were granted a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) titled Project NEURON: Novel Education in Understanding Research On Neuroscience (http://neuron.illinois.edu/) from the National Institutes of Health.

The project develops curriculum modules based on cutting-edge neuroscience research at UIUC that are implemented in classrooms during the school year, exposes education graduate students to brain research and neuroscience graduate students to education methods, and provides professional development for school teachers through workshops during the summer and on weekends throughout the school year.

NSP graduate students are encouraged to apply for fellowships through Project NEURON by contacting Dr. Donna Korol (dkorol@illinois.edu) or Dr. Barbara Hug (bhug@illinois.edu).

Undergraduate Neuroscience Club
Undergraduates at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign formed a Neuroscience Club that hosts faculty, graduate student, and post-doc talks on career paths and research and holds journal discussions on current and classical papers in neuroscience. The Neuroscience Club also participates in many outreach activities including Brain Awareness Day, and Science Shares. In 2011, club members were integral in launching the inaugural Friday Fair at the Don Moyer's Boys and Girls club in Champaign, which was a smashing success.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) courses
NSP faculty have coordinated and taught several courses through the OLLI program (http://olli.illinois.edu/) at the University of Illinois. Some recent topics include Healthy Animals, Healthy Humans: Research that Benefits Both, Cognition and personality across the lifespan: Only as old as you think you are?, Brain in Society, and Your Brain and You. To propose a course, contact the OLLI director, Kathleen Holden (kholden@illinois.edu). For current and future classes, check out the OLLI website.

Friday Fairs at Don Moyer's Boys and Girls Club after-school program!
(launched January, 2011)
NSP graduate students and post-docs coordinated with the Undergraduate Neuroscience Club and Project NEURON to bring brain science to grade school students for hours of exciting activities. Participants learned about plasticity of visual-motor function, made (and ate!) candy neurons, and tested their reflexes. Check back for more events planned for 2011. Next event: date to be determined.

Faces In Neuroscience Discoveries (F.I.N.D.) at the Orpheum Children's Science Museum (1 pm - 3 pm, April 16, April 23, April 30).
Currently under development; opening April, 2011.

Science Share events at local schools
Each year the NSP has the opportunity to set up exhibits at local middle and high school science share events that highlight science projects developed and conducted by school students and classes. Science shares are typically held in the spring.

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