| ABOUT THE BRAIN CAMPAIGN The Brain Campaign is an initiative to create better public understanding of the brain. This project was established in 2003 and is a joint venture between
- IBRO (the International Brain Research Organization)
- SFN (the Society for Neuroscience )
- DABI (the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives)
- EDAB (the European Dana Alliance for the Brain)
- FENS (the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies)
It is the aim of neuroscientists in these organizations to try to explain the significance of neuroscience research to the public. This document provides ideas and guidelines for brain-related Public Education events. Similar material is also available from the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.
Public education about the brain: why get involved The big questions about the human brain are relevant to everyone. Some obvious questions concern normal function. For example, “How do we recognize the face of a friend and instantly respond with a smile?” Others seek explanations of the neurological disorders that affect their lives. Brain disorders are much more common than you think. They affect approximately 15-20% of the world population. Perhaps these were your reasons for becoming a neuroscientist.
Given the statistics on brain disease, it is imperative that citizens have a better understanding of the brain.
This knowledge empowers people:
- To take an interest in neuroscience. Some may be sufficiently enthused to decide to become the neuroscientists of the future.
- To learn out about a brain disorder which affects their life and make choices about beneficial treatments or their lifestyle.
- To decide to make a donation to a charity that fund research and/or support the funding of neuroscience by government institutions.
By contributing to brain-related public education projects you can change lives. Each year hundreds of brain education events are organized around the world. Here are a few examples to set you thinking.
Some events reach large audiences. A NeuroArt Competition took place in 2006 when neuroscientists submitted 433 images from 62 laboratories around the world for a prize of $7000. Fifty selected works were exhibited at the Barcelona Science Museum in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine awarded to Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi in 1906. The exhibition was the first public display of the world’s best images captured within the brain using a spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies. The exhibition was also displayed at the IBRO World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, July 2007.
Winner of NeuroArt Competition 2006;
image by Tamily Weissman and
Jeff Lichtman (Harvard University, USA)
At the other extreme are events such as the one organized by the Department of Human and Animal Physiology at Tbilisi State University, Georgia. They ran an event for secondary schoolchildren where biology teachers lectured about brain physiology and pathology and then held a group discussion. The 26 participating students were most excited when they were shown a real human brain and were allowed to hold it.
Schoolchildren learn about the brain,
Tbilisi, Georgia, BAW 2006
The International Brain Bee
The International Brain Bee (IBB) is a live Q&A competition that tests the neuroscience knowledge of high-school students. Students from around the world compete to determine who is the "best brain" on such topics as intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, aging, sleep, addiction, Alzheimer's and stroke. The annual final is usually held in conjunction with a major international neuroscience conference. Details are available on the IBB web site http://www.internationalbrainbee.com.
The IBB is an attempt to motivate young people to learn about the brain, capture their imagination and inspire them to pursue careers in biomedical brain research. Getting involved is fun, easy and rewarding.
2007 IBB Champion Melody Hu
with IBB Director Dr Norbert Myslinski
Brain Awareness Week
Every March, hundreds of public events are staged as part of “Brain Awareness Week”. This global celebration draws attention to achievements in Neuroscience and provides information on the brain that everyone can understand. Brain Awareness Week has become a major part of the international effort to inform the public about the brain.
Brain Awareness Week 2004, Sweden
ORGANIZING YOUR EVENT
Who is the audience?
The audience for a Public Education event can vary enormously. They may be small and select: for example, schoolchildren or a group of individuals with an interest in a particular disorder. Alternatively, the audience may be very large but broad. Maybe they are passers-by in a railway station where you are displaying images. It is important to decide whom you want your event to reach and make all other plans according to their needs.
Ask yourselves:
- Is the material we are planning of the right academic level?
- What is the best location/date/time to reach this particular audience?
- How will the audience get there and what facilities do they need?
Deciding the subject and format
Like the audience, the subject and format of events are highly diverse. The focus should be an issue that is relevant to the lives of the audience. You could hold a series of public lectures, a radio phone-in, a brain-themed art exhibition, or a music/dance event. The possibilities are endless.
Deciding the date, time and place
Many events take place in March and are registered with Brain Awareness Week. However, we would encourage you to choose a time of year that is appropriate to your area. Outdoor events do not work well on wet March days in England! Your event does not need to be registered with Brain Awareness Week. When and where your event is held will be dependent on the audience you want to reach and the facilities needed to run the event.
Find out when your audience is most likely to be available and receptive. Daytime, weekday events suit older audiences while events for families need to be run at weekends or school holidays. Activities for children can be taken into schools while those for adults could be taken into the workplace.
When you choose the location bear in mind the facilities you need.
- Is the space large enough for your audience or too big for a small cozy event?
- How will your audience get to the location? Is there adequate public transport and parking?
- Are there adequate facilities for disabled guests? This is especially important for events that focus on brain disorders.
- What equipment will you need to run the event? Consider audio-video capabilities and safety issues.
Getting funding for your event
All events cost money. You may need to hire a space or professional help, pay for a speaker’s expenses or provide a prize. Here are some ideas for finding funding.
- Approach the venue, printer and speakers you are going to use in advance and ask them to provide services for free or at a discounted rate. Emphasize that the event you are organizing is for a good cause.
- Seek out sponsors to cover the costs. Interested parties such as medical organizations, charities, pharmaceutical companies and local businesses will be more receptive.
- Many universities have bursaries for science communication for which you can apply.
- Approach your local societies and find out whether they support public education events.
- Reduce travel expenses by approaching speakers who live near the venue.
- The IBRO Public Education Committee has a funding scheme for Public Education events running outside Western Europe or North America. In general, it will provide grants of up to €500 euros towards costs. Apply here.
Advertising your event
To ensure that there is a good audience you need to make certain that the audience you want is aware of the event.
- For a small, restricted audience, such as a school group or local interest group, direct e-mail or letters of invitation are appropriate. Flyers/handouts given at a previous meeting are also useful.
- For larger more diverse audience, advertisements in newspapers and/or on the radio may be more effective.
- Tell the IBRO Public Education Committee about your event. Announcements will be placed on the Brain Campaign web site and the IBRO web site news page and in The IBRO Reporter. Information should be sent to stephanie@ibro.org.
- If your event is associated with Brain Awareness Week, register your event here.
Dealing with the press
It has been said that “Any publicity is good publicity” but that certainly is not true when the subject is science. To ensure that journalists give accurate and fair coverage you need to develop a media plan.
- Identify the target groups and publications.
- Invite selected journalists to a press conference.
- Give journalists accurate and fair information. It is a good idea to provide journalists with a handout.
Speakers
If the message of your event is to have maximum impact, you will need good speakers. The speakers you choose should have a good knowledge of the subject, but above all they need to be good communicators with the kind of audience you have chosen.
Brief your speaker well. They will need to know about the audience. What is their general level of knowledge of the brain and what are their interests? Make sure your speaker knows what message you are trying to convey and can handle questions from the audience.
The choice of speaker is important. A major international speaker may attract the attention of the press and a larger audience, but a local speaker will probably have a better understanding of the audience. To find a local speaker, you could contact the nearest medical college/university departments of cellular biology, neurology, neuroscience, neurosurgery or psychiatry. At school events, try to involve teachers who can communicate with children.
An international speaker is likely to have a busy schedule and is unlikely to make the journey in order to participate in one event. However, many would be willing to add your event to their programme if they are visiting the area for another purpose. Your local university or regional neuroscience association may have a list of visiting speakers.
Resources for public education about the brain
The web sites listed below give access to all kinds of educational resources on the brain. These include downloadable fact sheets, quizzes and competitions, interactive web sites.
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