Northwest NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (“growing in networks”)

What is Northwest Noggin?

Northwest Noggin is a robust, creative, entirely volunteer driven non-profit organization (EIN: 81-3885713) that brings together scientists and artists and students of all ages to contribute their expertise, listen and learn from others, enthuse young people about science and art, share area educational resources and inform and excite the public about ongoing, taxpayer supported neuroscience research.

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience

In the summer of 2012, graduate and undergraduate students taught by neuroscientist Bill Griesar at several universities got together and developed a popular four week all volunteer (everyone!) class on the brain and behavior for middle schoolers at Sabin K-8, a Portland public school. Pacific Northwest artist Jeff Leake developed new #sciart projects to convey concepts in neuroscience, engage more people, and extend our outreach efforts further.

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington

Since 2012 we’ve met over 70,000 K-12 students in Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, rural Oregon and Washington, San Diego, Chicago and DC public schools! We’ve offered free talks from collaborating students in neuroscience and art, and informed our community about ongoing brain research, training graduates to present their work to a lay audience.

We also organize NOGGINFEST, the largest free, student run celebration of music, art and research in the Pacific Northwest!

LEARN MORE: NOGGINFEST

Our graduate and undergraduate art and neuroscience volunteers are developing experts in science communication (#scicomm), teaching in academic priority K-12 schools, museums, correctional facilities, symphonies, hospitals, houseless youth centers, breweries, coffee shops, Native American summer camps, Congress and bike shop pubs!

For more information please check out

NOGGIN BLOGGIN

NW Noggin: Brains and ART

Essential to our training of new scientists is the inclusion of art (the “STEAM” approach).

“He was appalled by the examination system, when it was explained to him, he could not imagine a greater deterrent to the natural wish to learn than this pattern of cramming in information and disgorging it on demand.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

Arts integration makes learning personally relevant.

From the Perception course at Portland State University (J. Chapleau)

Art allows open ended exploration of scientific concepts (not one right answer bubble test written by “education professionals” working at for-profit exam and textbook companies), and offers science teachers a broader palette from which they can differentiate their lessons. This interdisciplinary collaboration is also valuable to artists, who often use their skills to explore and enhance work in other fields. Yet art students are seldom exposed to this kind of collaboration during their education.

LEARN MORE: NW Noggin Art Projects

We start by integrating graduate students (many from OHSU) into advanced undergraduate neuroscience courses at Portland State University during the academic year.

Undergraduates learn about neurons, glia, synapses, networks, neuroanatomy and techniques, pore over peer-reviewed journal articles, and gain fluency in the language of the discipline before working directly with graduate students, who spend several weeks in the classroom sharing their work. This informs our undergraduates about funded research opportunities, and helps train graduate students to teach.

We sometimes bring everyone together again in summer, along with art students, to develop their own collaborative, creative, multi-week courses for K-12 students enrolled in city, county, state and federal programs designed to offer enrichment opportunities.

Brain Awareness: All Year Long

However, starting in 2015, we dramatically expanded outreach both in schools and the broader community. Noggin volunteers now regularly visit K-12 classrooms throughout the academic year, and arrange public, semi-monthly collaborative presentations on research and art.

In 2016, we were invited to bring 26 volunteers to Washington DC to present brains in public schools, Congress, the White House, and the Phillips Collection! That same year we were recognized for our innovative outreach model by the Obama White House for bringing together students from multiple institutions, and multiple disciplines, and connecting them directly with the broader community.

LEARN MORE: GET INVOLVED WITH NW NOGGIN

We returned to the U.S. Capitol in 2017, and presented at the Society for Neuroscience conference, visited the National Institutes of Health and over 700 K-12 students in DC area schools, presented brains and made art in Congress – and ran a mobbed “Art of Neuroscience” booth at the convention center!

LEARN MORE: From classrooms to Congress!

LEARN MORE: Serving 700 students at SfN!

LEARN MORE: NW Noggins Bring #brains2DC!

In 2018 we gave the keynote address on Brain Awareness at the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego! We also brought our expert volunteers into San Diego public schools to talk about brain research and make more brainy art.

“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

LEARN MORE: Synapsing in San Diego @ SfN!

In 2019 we partnered with the Society for Neuroscience and the Society for Social Neuroscience and introduced brain research and crafted brain cells with over 500 K-12 students in Chicago Public Schools!

LEARN MORE: Noggins in CHICAGO!

LEARN MORE: Reflections on Chicago

In 2020, 2021 and 2022 we explored virtual and hybrid outreach, visiting schools both online and in person. We write up detailed descriptions of every outreach experience, which you can check out at NOGGIN BLOGGIN. Our undergraduates also accessibly describe what it’s like to work in various research labs at WHAT IS RESEARCH LIKE?

In 2023 we returned to Washington, presenting again at the SfN conference. We also delivered a third briefing to the Neuroscience and STEAM caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives, and explored brains, shared stories and made art with students in DC public schools!

Everyone gains useful experience.

Our undergraduates benefit from working alongside graduate students, learning about graduate school and federally funded research opportunities. Graduates and undergraduates develop their own cross-disciplinary lesson plans and activities, and teach K-12 students, conveying concepts in science in effective and engaging ways.

Our art students contribute immensely to our outreach activities, by brainstorming effective and creative, hands on projects to explore concepts in neuroscience, and by developing arts-integrated lessons that further student understanding of science and art.

In fact, Portland State University now offers a popular INTERDISCIPLINARY NEUROSCIENCE MINOR.

LEARN MORE: Interdisciplinary Neuroscience @ Portland State University

Finally, our K-12 and public participants get very excited about these subjects, and discover how to further satisfy their interests by continuing their education through college and beyond.

We also partner with many local, national and international institutions, including Portland’s innovative p:ear houseless youth center, the Portland Art Museum, BioGift and Velo Cult, a bike shop/event space/pub in Portland where our volunteers have in the past offered collaborative presentations of their lab and studio work, raising awareness of exciting art projects, and ongoing, federally funded neuroscience research underway at PSU, OHSU and other area campuses.

Noggin wouldn’t exist without networks

NW NOGGIN COLLABORATORS

LEARN MORE: All is in motion, is growing, is you

We are a NONPROFIT!

In summer 2016, Northwest Noggin incorporated in the state of Oregon, and received federal status as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fall! Our EIN is 81-3885713.

We strive to effectively and efficiently accept investment in our pipe cleaners, sheep brains, nitrile gloves and additional arts supplies for school and community events, and support for travel, conference attendance, and occasional stipends for our tireless graduate and undergraduate volunteer educators.

We welcome your support!

DONATE HERE!

For a classic VIDEO INTRODUCTION to nwnoggin.org, prepared by past participants (and PSU students) Lindsay Miller and Michael Miller (who met each other while volunteering with NW Noggin!), please check out the following:

All About NW Noggin

Bill Griesar, Ph.D.
Neuroscience Coordinator, nwnoggin.org
Teaching Assistant Professor, Psychology/Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Portland State University
Adjunct Faculty, University Studies, Portland State University
Affiliate Graduate Faculty, Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University

GRIESAR_CV_May_2024 Download

Jeff Leake, MFA
Arts Coordinator, nwnoggin.org
Artist
Adjunct Instructor, Psychology, Portland State University
Adjunct Instructor, University Studies, Portland State University
Gallery 114

Picture by Society for Neuroscience

After the 2019 Noggin March for Science!

LEARN MORE: Brains to the Streets!

NW NOGGIN: Official LOGO

NW Noggin SLIDES

Noggin at Kings 2022

LEARN MORE: Lobes in LONDON

Brain Awareness SLIDES 2018 SfN Keynote Address (pdf)

Brain Awareness SLIDES 2018 SfN Keynote Address (ppt)

LEARN MORE: Synapsing in San Diego

Latino Network Noggin Slides 2017 (pdf)

March-for-Science-2017 (pdf)

March-for-Science-2017 (ppt)

Click below for slides from an introduction to NW Noggin, in a workshop we presented at the Oregon Arts Education Association conference in fall, 2015…