WHAT: Northwest Noggin presents a workshop on “Fostering inspiration and engagement through outreach, noggins and art” at the 10th Annual NIH BRAIN Initiative Conference!

WHERE: Bethesda North Marriott, 5701 Marinelli Rd, Rockville, MD 20852

WHEN: Tuesday, June 18th, 11:15am – 12:15pm

MAKE ART! ASK QUESTIONS! EXAMINE (3D-printed 🙂 BRAINS!

Come join Northwest Noggin at the 10th Annual Brain Initiative conference on Tuesday, June 18th to explore how the arts and humanities can enhance, inform and enrich neuroscience research!

The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative, or The BRAIN Initiative®, is a partnership between Federal and non-Federal partners with a common goal of accelerating the development of innovative neurotechnologies. Through the application and dissemination of these scientific advancements, researchers will be able to produce a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space.

LEARN MORE: The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative

Fostering inspiration and engagement through outreach, noggins and art

Science needs investment, and engaging the public communicates discoveries and builds support for education and research. Integrating the arts in STEM (STEAM) fosters interdisciplinary engagement, and draws in more people not currently overrepresented in the academic study of neuroscience. Nonprofit NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org) organizes undergraduates and graduates to collaborate, build community networks and inspire people about neuroscience and art. We bring diverse students excited by research and their own study of the brain and behavior into public schools, correctional facilities, Congress, houseless youth centers, coffee shops and pubs to hear what people already know and what they’d like to know, and to see where our stories and discoveries from labs and classrooms intersect. We’ve talked with over 70,000 people since 2012! K-12 students and members of the public are inspired by interacting with our undergraduates and graduates, and discover new possibilities for future educational and career paths. Our outreach volunteers learn about community needs and questions, and become better at communicating science. Many of our projects and experiences involve emerging technologies, including 3D printing. In our BRAIN Conference session, we’ll have plenty of colorful 3D printed cerebrums to share, and we’ll build new cells from pipe cleaners that reflect the extraordinary diversity revealed by BRAIN Initiative supported technologies. Anyone interested in the power of art to excite, engage and invite a broader public into STEM will enjoy this experience, and come away with ideas to expand their own outreach efforts. Building excitement and awareness of discoveries, educational options and careers through arts-integrated neuroscience outreach trains new scientists to collaborate, engages more people, and increases awareness and support for community investment in both brain research and the arts.