University of Washington Brain Awareness Week - 2004 Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a nationwide effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Society for Neuroscience to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research. The official week for BAW was March 15-21, 2004, but the whole month of March was filled with activities. Classroom visits and an Open House made BAW at the University of Washington a real success. The Open House was supported by the UW Department of Anesthesiology and the Pacific Cascade Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience.

University of Washington BAW Open House

Map of Exhibits

On March 24, 310 students attended the University of Washington Brain Awareness Week Open House (10 am to 1 pm; Health Sciences Bldg., 3rd Floor Lobby). On arrival to the Open House, each student received a: BAW button BAW bag (from the University of Washington Bookstore) BAW/Neuroscience for Kids key chains, pens and rulers Dana Alliance publications "Brainy Toys" from Archie McPhee toy store. To start the open house, students attended an interactive, multimedia "Brain Assembly." Some students and teachers received gifts (e.g., T-shirt, ski helmet, bike helmets, gift certificates) donated by: Cascade Bicycle Club; Fiorini Sports; Science, Art and More; All for Kids; Costco; Target. Several UW departments and other organizations set up interactive exhibits for the students to explore. Students were connected to EEG machines to record their brain waves (EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology) and to a transcranial Doppler machine to measure their brain blood flow (UW Dept. of Anesthesiology). The UW Department of Biological Structure had a comparative neuroanatomy display and the Neurobiology and Behavior Program had an exhibit to illustrate how we localize sound. The Pacific Science Center provided many exhibits that they bring out to schools and had a real human brain for the students to hold. LifeCenter Northwest, DO-IT program, Videodiscovery Company, the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and the Department of Biology and Genome Sciences also provided exhibits.

BAW Ruler
BAW Pen	BAW Key Chain	BAW Button

Open House Activities
Drug Effect Etching	Brain Teaser	Vision Distortion
Human Brain	Human Brain	Human Brain
Face Painting	Reaction Time	Sound Localization
Brain Display	Brain Display	EEG Photo: Ellen Kuwana
Pipe Cleaner Neurons	Pipe Cleaner Neurons	Epilepsy Display Photo: Ellen Kuwana
Brain Blood Flow Photo: Ellen Kuwana	Brain Shirts Photo: Ellen Kuwana
Face Painting Photo: Ellen Kuwana

Student Comments about the Open House
	"I really like making the neurons with pipe cleaners." "The optical illusions were surprising and fun." "The Brain Awareness Week Open House was probably the best field trip this year!" "I liked the station where you can measure the blood flow in your brain." "Thank you for such a great morning of brain-filled fun. Brain Awareness Week was one of the greatest field trips I have taken." "My favorite exhibit was writing my name in Braille." "I liked how you explained everything so clearly. If someone who didn't know anything about the brain went in that auditorium, they would know know as much about the brain as I do and I have studied the brain since last October." "I really thought that you would say boring stuff that I already knew. But today I learned a lot about science and the brain." "I thought the whole experience was great. It was everything I expected it to be, fun and very educational."

BACK TO:	Brain Awareness Week 2004
	Brain Awareness Week 2003	Brain Awareness Week 2002	Table of Contents
	Brain Awareness Week 2001	Brain Awareness Week 2000
	Brain Awareness Week 1999	Brain Awareness Week 1998

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