UTMB neuroscience students hosted more than 120 middle schoolers at this year’s Brain Fair on March 30.
With six different stations set up in Levin Hall, sixth graders from Austin Middle School in Galveston and High Island Middle School in Bolivar took part in hands-on science experiments – from an injury station with a "phantom limb" demo to a brain anatomy station, where students got to view real mice, goat and human brains. If students were feeling especially brave, they had the opportunity to put on gloves and hold an animal brain.
“How many kids have been able to see a human brain up close?” said Julia Gerson, a neuroscience graduate student who helped organize the event. “I don’t think I saw one until I was in college or graduate school, so these kids have a pretty cool opportunity.”
Excitement is an understatement – students were thrilled to participate and learn about the importance of brain health, as evidenced by their enthusiastic smiles and eagerness to see what station was next. Gerson says she was impressed with how engaged the students were and says their curiosity and thoughtful questions were great.
“Science can be really exciting, especially the brain – there’s so much we don’t understand yet. I hope students learned today that the brain can grow and change, so if you know you’re not good at something at first, you can practice and get better,” said Gerson. “All of us students who study neuroscience are diverse and I want these young students to know that it’s an option for anybody. Even if they don’t want to study science, they can go to college and be successful.”
The UTMB students who took part in the event are members of the Society for Neuroscience, Galveston Chapter -- a UTMB student organization affiliated with the national SfN organization and focused on outreach and education in the community.
This is the second year the Galveston Chapter has hosted a Brain Fair for students. Gerson says she hopes to expand the event and reach more schools next year.