Interactive Session
Hands-on motor coordination challenges, such as balance tests and ring toss exercises, to illustrate how the brain processes spatial awareness and movement.
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Brain Awareness Week
Brain awareness is the understanding of how the brain functions and the importance of protecting brain health throughout life. It encourages people to learn about memory, thinking, emotions, and behaviors while recognizing habits that support cognitive well-being. Brain awareness promotes healthy lifestyles such as regular physical activity, nutritious eating, quality sleep, stress management, social engagement, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking or excessive alcohol use.
Goals
Main Event
Sullivan Environmental Science Academy
Objective
The primary objective of this project was to engage the Rio Grande Valley community, an objective that was successfully achieved through an interactive educational event at Sullivan Environmental Science Academy.
Event took place on March 23rd 2026.
Event Activities
An introduction to the fundamentals of neuroscience and our team’s research background.
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Tactile Exploration
Students had the opportunity to handle and explore a detailed brain model, allowing them to satisfy their curiosity about its physical structure and anatomy.
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Takeaways
At the conclusion of the event, students were challenged with a brain teaser to test their problem-solving skills and received a printed resource to further their interest in neuroscience at home.
Given a 45-minute window by the school, the team executed a prepared a multi-station interactive session for elementary students. The activities and their specific objectives included:
- Introduction: A presentation on neuroscience and our team's research background to provoke early interest in brain health.
- Motor Coordination Challenges: Active exercises, including a balance test and a ring toss, designed to physically illustrate how the brain processes spatial awareness, movement, and feedback loops.
- Tactile Exploration: Hands-on engagement with detailed brain models, satisfying student curiosity regarding physical brain structures.
- Cognitive Takeaways: A brain-teaser challenge to stimulate problem-solving skills, paired with a printed educational resource for students to take home.
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Outcomes
The project successfully met and exceeded its community outreach goals as outlined in the original proposal. The event directly reached over 70 individuals, fostering immediate engagement with the field. By translating complex neuroscience into accessible, tangible experiences, the activities successfully promoted spatial awareness, cognitive curiosity, and foundational scientific knowledge among the students.
Key Outcomes and Impact
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Increased Awareness
Participants showed high levels of engagement through active questioning and tactile exploration.
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Positive Feedback
The event received positive feedback from participants, principals and teachers.
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Community Engagement
The presentation fostered a sense of community and collaboration among participants.
Event 2
National Hispanic Institute (Tip of Texas Chapter)
Event Activities
An introduction to the fundamentals of neuroscience and our team’s research background.
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Attendence
During this event, most of the participants were undergraduate students at UTRGV who are majoring in early education to be elementary teachers in the RGV. It was a class of about 20 young female students who had an interest in learning more about brain health and brain awareness, as well as the moderating risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
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Objective
The intended goal for this event and presentation was to inform and educate the students about brain health and awareness.
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Purpose
This event met the goals of MAC in education and dissemination of information about Brain Awareness Week and brain health.
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Impact
During this event, most of the participants were undergraduate students at UTRGV who are majoring in early education to be elementary teachers in the RGV. It was a class of about 20 young female students who had an interest in learning more about brain health and brain awareness, as well as the moderating risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
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BAW Hacks
Celebrate Brain Awareness Week with these simple habits to keep your brain healthy, spectacular and efficient!
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Challenge It!
Learn a new language or musical instrument. Your brain loves new, difficult tasks.
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Refuel It!
Eat whole foods and stay hydrated. Your brain needs a lot of energy to keep you moving.
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Rest It!
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. This is when your brain strengthens memories.
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Balance It!
Find time for hobbies and healthy relationships. Managing stress helps your amygdala and overall emotional health.
Event 3
Brain Awareness Health Fair
A Brain Awareness Health Fair connects community members with valuable resources that promote brain health, healthy aging, and overall well-being. Through educational materials, educational talks, activities, and local organizations, the event encourages healthy lifestyle choices, increases awareness of cognitive health, and supports access to community services and support systems.
Key Takeaways
An introduction to the fundamentals of neuroscience and our team’s research background.
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Interactive Session
Hands-on motor coordination challenges, such as artistic expression, to illustrate how the brain processes spatial awareness and coordination.
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Health Risks
Attendents of this event got to learn the many risk factors of dementia. These facts can be linked to certain behaviors/conditions that leads to dementia to grow stronger.
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Cognitive Wellness
At the conclusion of the event, the attendents were able to takeaway notable healthier behaviors that reduce the risk cognitive decline and possibly dementia. This includes being physically active, quitting/never starting smoking, being heart healthy and managing health concerns.
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