NW Noggin organized outreach visits to two public elementary schools in sunny California earlier this fall… 🌴🌴
We were in San Diego to present our posters and discuss brain awareness with 30,000 brain researchers at the annual Society for Neuroscience conference…
LEARN MORE: Â Art & Science @ SfN 2016
LEARN MORE: Â Cortical Connections in San Diego Schools!
LEARN MORE: Â Synapses in San Diego: Noggin @ SfN
It was exciting to talk arts-integrated outreach at the conference with SfN officials, artists and neuroscience researchers from around the globe…
…but even more exciting to make connections with local San Diego public school teachers, parents and kids  –  and bring young scientists from Portland State University, Washington State University Vancouver, Oregon Health & Science University, UC San Diego and Carnegie Mellon University into the community to explain their own brain research through art!
Research discovery is riveting, and the arts can motivate, inspire and engage.  Students at both Jefferson and Linda Vista Elementary schools learned about brain cells (neurons), and how dendrites, cell bodies and axons are built to perform different functions…
We described how neurons link together at synapses into neural networks, which carry and distribute information, and allow us to perceive, attend, decide, remember and behave…
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together” -Vincent Van Gogh
Students built their own colorful brain cells out of pipe cleaners, and Noggin volunteers brought them (literally, bags of them!) back to the SfN conference to create a captivating and compelling display!
Pipe Cleaner Neuron Project  –  an example of the project in action
- DISCOVER: Â Pipe Cleaner Neuron Project Background
- CREATE: Â How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Neuron
After the conference, we returned the vibrant neurons  –  as promised!  –  to the schools, and the student artists set to work building their own extensive network, along with explanatory drawings and text explaining how brains are put together and develop…
Congrats to the inspiring student artists and scientists in San Diego Public Schools  –  and thank you for welcoming our NW Noggin volunteers to Jefferson and Linda Vista this fall!