Science Friday Initiative

This grant supports Science Friday’s neuroscience education program which creates engaging, self-directed learning experiences for middle schoolers, their families, educators, and informal learning providers to connect them with neuroscience-based strategies to improve mental health and wellness and provide a deeper understanding of the brain. 

Programming starts during Brain Awareness Week (BAW) 2024, with a radio show segment on a new and exciting topic in neuroscience and society that will reach nearly two million listeners across broadcast and podcast channels. Science Friday hosts four interactive “ask-me-anything” zoom sessions with experts in the fields of neuroscience and mental health that cover topics at the intersection of neuroscience, society, and youth experiences. Following the BAW kickoff, Science Friday mails 300 free activity kits to participating families, groups, and community organizations with the goal of engaging 2,500 youth in at-home, escape room-style learning activities. The five activities build off the topics of the zoom sessions and include puzzles and other challenges as well as a call to action for participants to use their learnings to advocate for addressing mental health and wellness issues on a personal, local, and regional level. 

Science Friday’s outreach approach helps to overcome the barrier of STEM identity commonly found in marginalized communities by presenting the scientific investigations as playful, low-stakes, collaborative games. This program addresses inequities that exist in the educational system and creates pathways into neuroscience for a diverse community of learners. 

This grant supports the Dana Education objective to empower people of all ages to use neuroscience in their everyday lives by strengthening their knowledge of the field’s real-world applications and ethical considerations through sustained informal education programs.