Brains for 437 @ HeLa High!

Our skilled undergraduate outreach participants, a total of twelve from WSU Vancouver and Portland State University, led multiple discussions of brain structure and function for wave upon wave of high school students at HeLa High School in Vancouver this morning…

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We arrived early, and split into two rooms:  the library for successive classes of high schoolers eager to ask questions about the brain and behavior, and a science classroom for holding, viewing and asking more questions about real human brains…

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Students were curious about their own brain development, and about drug actions and effects, synesthesia, sports-related concussions, prosopagnosia (face blindness), language, memory, the effects of video games, why some students find it easier, or harder, to develop certain skills (including sports skills, and math skills), how to determine if someone is in a coma, or persistent vegetative state, or minimally conscious state, and how scientists are able to detect brain activity with imaging, EEG, and other techniques…

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The questions, and the level of student interest and engagement was impressive, and from 7:50am through 11:10am, we managed to speak individually with 437 freshmen, juniors and seniors at HeLa High!

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Many thanks to Susie Ridgeway, the Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher, and the students and staff at HeLa for hosting us today.  We enjoyed our visit, and hope to return in the new year.  Happy holidays & Cheers!

 

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