The brain isn't just the most complicated organ in the human body, but it's also the most complicated structure that we know of in the universe. And yet, most people know very little about the brain and how it functions. That's why neuroscience and psychology researchers, educators, and students volunteer for Brain Awareness Week (BAW) activities each year, which allows them to share their knowledge and excitement for all things brain related.

This year, Temple University's Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program organized BAW events at two Philadelphia-area schools: Bodine High School and Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Around 100 students from these schools participated in a variety of hands-on activities, on topics including cognitive testing, motor learning, brain anatomy, and even electroencephalography (EEG). New additions to the activities for this year included the "rubber-hand illusion" and tablets that can trick taste buds into making sour foods taste sweet! "My students learned a great deal during the event and had a lot of fun...[they] were talking about it all day long," said Ashley Devoy, STEM Coordinator for Bodine, "the students love engaging in actual science where their curiosity can run free."

The BAW events this year weren't just a great experience for the high school students, but they were also an opportunity for the 30 Temple students and faculty who volunteered.  "This was my first time volunteering for BAW and I absolutely loved sharing my time with the students," said Amanda Taylor, a Temple Psychology Major. "it was just as much fun for me as it was for them during the activities. Overall it was an incredibly rewarding experience and I look forward to volunteering for BAW next year!" Some volunteers, like CLA Neuroscience Major Josh Ross, were pleasantly surprised at how well the students seemed to understand complicated concepts.

Another benefit of community outreach programs, like BAW, is that it allows high school students to ask Temple undergraduates about the college experience and may even encourage them to pursue a career path that had never occurred to them before.  Volunteer and Lab Manager Victoria Kelly feels that access to current science research is something that needs more attention. "Events like BAW is a step in the right direction to exposing our work and letting kids know that science, research, college, etc. can be a legitimate career option for them to pursue."     

Professors Mansi Shah and David Waxler, who organize the BAW events, are already beginning to plan BAW events and activities for next year. "The Temple Psychology Department Outreach Committee and CLA Neuroscience Program have been very supportive of these brain awareness events," says Prof. Waxler, "our goal is to continue to find new ways to share our love of neuroscience with even more people in the broader Philadelphia community."