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.
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NW Noggin: Art + Brains
Reinventing high school: Bringing in the brains!
Are “mini-brains” BRAINS?
Join us in Chile in *2027*!
In 2027 we'll return to Valparaíso, Chile, home of the Humboldt squid! 🦑⚡️🧠🎨😃 Just like in 2025, and 2023, we'll explore how neurons carry information, and how research in Chile (involving the squid’s giant fused axons) informed our understanding of the electrical signaling that links our experiences to the world. We’ll visit laboratories to examine the rich history and exciting present of brain research, make art (including arpilleras, woven depictions of events that help people express challenging memories and preserve them for accountability), and contribute to community engagement with Ciencia al Tiro, a local STEAM (STEM + Arts) outreach nonprofit. LEARN MORE: LAS NEURONAS SON BACANES. LEARN MORE: Arte y Cerebros en Chile LEARN MORE: ARTS & BRAINS IN CHILE
Diamond advice: brains, art, stories & play
“Perhaps I should just bury myself and become a diamond after thousands of years of intense pressure” –Lemony Snickett What’s the best way to educate a child? How do we help them grow, and develop self-control, focused attention, working memory, social skills, discipline and the motivation to meet life’s challenges and…
Color on the Noggin!
Post by Kanani Miyamoto, Noggin Resource Council, Arts Integration “Perception is the medium” –Bridget Riley NW Noggin recently visited my Portland Community College (PCC) Color Foundations class… As visual artists we first learn the building blocks of art, the elements of art: color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value.…
Giant brains @ p:ear!
Have we mentioned how much we love this place? We love the impromptu street discussions as we unload brains in Portland’s Old Town, we love unscripted engagement on a host of neuroscience topics, from mental health to why some odors might relax you, to whether aspects of magic in fantasy novels…
Trap Squad!
Post by Denesa Lockwood Oberbeck, OHSU/NW Noggin Board Fort Vancouver High School (FVHS) in 1961 There is no substitute for hands-on learning. This is often the first-cited premise for justifying biological dissections. This author (and lots of other educators) believe in this premise whole-heartedly, as do an always eager group of NW Noggin…
Tagging the temporal lobe
Noggin returned for a second “Noggin Tuesday” at p:ear this week to make art, hold brains and answer questions… LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear We’re visiting multiple mornings this spring, and this week’s eager volunteers included Jordan Ray, Jade Osilla and Aaron Eisen from Portland State University, and Noggin Resource Council member…
Job Opening: Research Assistant for ATTEND Lab (OHSU)
The ATTEND Lab at OHSU (PI: Sarah Karalunas) is seeking a full-time Research Assistant! You’d work with more than one electrode… 🙂 The Research Assistant will help with the management and analysis of EEG, ERP, and neuropsychological test data, as well as some data collection and administrative responsibilities. The ideal…
Soup for Brains!
How much energy does a brain require? How many brain cells do we have? Are humans unique in terms of brain size, number of neurons – or social skills, tool use, deception, or play..? How do you make “brain soup?” And what’s the best way to bring fresh cerebrums on an international…
P:ear: “He LOVES this”
Post and pictures by volunteer Ashley Keates, Portland State University As NW Noggin stepped feet and brains into p:ear we could instantly sense the great vibes and excitement from some of the youth at this much beloved and essential homeless youth center. One of the directors signaled a volunteer aside…
Taking children (& extra brains!) to work
A gorgeously warm and sunny spring day in the Pacific Northwest! We happily rolled our Noggin brain cart towards the riverside home of the Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon for another morning of public outreach… It was Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and Tracy Morgan, the Executive Director…
Reaction Time @ Reynolds
Noggin recently teamed up with three inspiring partners, NIH BUILD EXITO and the Equity & Empowerment Corps (EEC) at Portland State University, and the Alliance for Visible Diversity in Science at OHSU. We brought volunteers, enthusiasm, research background, diversity, empowerment and BRAINS to Reynolds High School for a lively introduction to neuroscience in Mr.…
What is outreach like?
“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 Northwest Noggin undergraduate and graduate outreach volunteers are enthusiastic and informed, and regularly let knowledge serve by going places, making art, exploring brain research, sharing stories and listening to community questions and interests in urban and rural K-12 public schools, coffee shops, museums, correctional facilities, houseless youth nonprofits, research conferences, Congress and more! LEARN MORE @ What is outreach like?.