Brain Awareness Week 2009

On March 19, 2009 Senior neuroscience students from Gustavus Adolphus College presented an array of interactive brain activities to five fourth grade classes at a North Intermediate School in Saint Peter, MN. The teaching modules varied from topics on brain anatomy and safety to depth perception and synaptic transmission. This college-sponsored activity included the participation of approximately 130 fourth grade students.

Fourth grade students were highly engaged and eager to participate in the day's activities.   Teachers at the elementary school were very pleased with the college students' dedication to sharing their knowledge about the brain and expressed their thanks to "the wizard" Dr. Michael Ferragamo, professor of biology and neuroscience at Gustavus, through an article in the local newspaper.

Gustavus Adolphus College's BAW event sparked interest and increased awareness of important and exciting applications of neuroscience in everyday life. Since the brain is not a topic regularly covered in elementary-level classes, this event played a major role in educating young students about the most important and magnificent machine in existence-the human brain.