Where is NW Noggin?
NW Noggin is a locally sourced, 501(c)(3) ALL-VOLUNTEER shoestring nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible contribution supports the purchase of sheep brains, pipe cleaners, electrodes and clay for innovative, arts-integrated outreach, and helps send volunteers from local universities (including Portland State University, OHSU, and other area institutions) to public school classrooms, conferences and free community events.
DONATE HERE!
LEARN MORE: Community Neuroscience: How to Build an Outreach Organization
NW Noggin: Art + Brains
Michael Deveney: Little hands holding brains
Trickster Brains @ Shahala
Join us in Chile in 2025!
LEARN MORE: LAS NEURONAS SON BACANES.
Brain Awareness for ALL
We started Northwest Noggin as parents in 2012, exploring summer educational opportunities offered by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), “Saturday Academy” and other nonprofits. These programs were prohibitively expensive, and with two kids each and limited income they were not accessible options for either Noggin co-founder at…
When I Grow Up: Learning, Memory, and LTP
Post by Asha Powell-Stormberg, undergraduate in Science pursuing an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor at Portland State University. Asha is a welcome and regular contributor to outreach visits through Northwest Noggin. Noggin @ Ron Russell Middle School I recently joined my fellow Noggin volunteers at Ron Russell Middle School in the David Douglas Public School District…
Wrestling with Expectations, and Brains
Post by Julian Rodriguez, undergraduate in Psychology pursuing an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor at Portland State University. Julian is a welcome, regular contributor to outreach through NW Noggin, and is currently seeking grants to support arts integration in STEM. When we arrive in K-12 classrooms in the Pacific Northwest with our real human noggins we pretty…
You belong in research
Post by Kayla McDaniel, undergraduate in Psychology pursuing an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor at Portland State University. Kayla is a full-time Research Assistant working in Dr. Miranda Lim’s Sleep & Health Applied Research Program (SHARP) laboratory at the Portland Veteran’s Administration Medical Center and OHSU. “We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe…
My Journey to Research
Post by Jonathan Palacios, undergraduate in Psychology pursuing an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor at Portland State University. Jonathan is a BUILD EXITO and U-RISE scholar working in Dr. Angela Ozburn’s substance use disorder research lab at OHSU. Discovering Science Being born in a small country was a factor that defined my…
A neurosymphony of skills!
Post by Allonté Barakat, an undergraduate Liberal Studies major minoring in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. Allonté is a computer scientist, voice actor and veteran of the tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) scene, with first-hand knowledge of the power of discovering your voice and the effect that voice can…
Dreaming of Better Sleep for Children with Down Syndrome
Post by Citlaly Vazquez, undergraduate majoring in Public Health Clinical Science and minoring in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. How did I get here? I am a senior majoring in Public Health Clinical Science and minoring in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. I am…
Is memory physical?
We love visiting 6th graders at Portland’s Hosford Middle School, and have done so now for multiple years! Returning again and again, with new students, new volunteers, different weather, different brain specimens and newly crafted pipe cleaner neurons and glia, in pre-pandemic, raging-pandemic and current pandemic conditions – has deepened…
We are all neural networks
Northwest Noggin was thrilled to receive an invitation from the Portland Art Museum, the seventh oldest museum in the United States, to present a workshop on neural networks at their free community “Evening for Educators” event in February, 2023. LEARN MORE: Evening for Educators: Hito Steyerl: This is the Future…
Your Inner Worm Bin
Post by Kristin Preston, Northwest Noggin outreach participant and undergraduate in Psychology pursuing an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor at Portland State University. “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food.”“All disease begins in the gut.” — Hippocrates As we move away from the darker, colder winter season, and into longer days of sunshine and…
Synapsing in San Diego
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” ―Maya Angelou.
Our AMAZING volunteers organized the largest all ages Art & Neuroscience Festival in the Pacific Northwest! We offered live bands, science-inspired art, neuroscience research presentations, and the chance to ask questions and examine real brains! The fifth annual Noggin Fest helped send more young scientists and artists to the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego - and into San Diego Unified Public Schools! LEARN MORE @ Brains Beyond SfN!.