Addiction: Hijacking the Brain
Product Developed: a) educational opportunities for middle and high school students through Brain Power, a traveling van, b) speakers bureau for classrooms and community groups and c) a "Neuroscience of Addiction" curriculum for teachers, d) lectures for the general public; e) workshops for professionals in drug enforcement
Target Audience: middle and high school students and teachers; general public; professionals in drug enforcement
Goal: This multifaceted project sought to disseminate research based science information to a broad audience. The Brain Power program was delivered to schools in Washington and neighboring states where it reached over 30,000 students and 4,000 adults. The program consisted of 12 lessons and a materials kit which used engaging and fun educational materials and settings, to stimulate lessons on basic neuroscience and the biology of addiction. Additionally a detailed curriculum, "Brain Power: It's all in Your Head," was developed for middle school teachers and students. The curriculum contains engaging lessons on a variety of neuroscience topics, including drug abuse.
This grant also organized 140 volunteer professionals who traveled to schools and community groups to give seminars on a variety of brain and drug abuse research topics. The speakers all included the importance of animals for biomedical research in their talks. Countless numbers of students and adults have been reached through this program. WABR also held Amazing Animal Research Student Contests in which students submitted essays and posters detailing the importance of animal research.
Alignment with Standards: National Science Education Standards
Contact: Susanna Cunningham, Ph.D.
University of Washington
susannac@u.washington.edu