Brain Awareness Week at Francis Junior High School; District of Columbia Mayor Williams Signs Proclamation
For immediate release.
NR-05-04 (3/4/04). For more information, please contact Dawn McCoy at (202) 462-6688 or dawn@sfn.org.
BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK AT FRANCIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MAYOR WILLIAMS SIGNS PROCLAMATION
WASHINGTON, DC March 9, 2004 — Brain Awareness Week, which elevates public awareness and creates interest in brain and nervous system research, takes place next week in classrooms, laboratories, and lecture halls across the nation.
A major event will occur at Francis Junior High School in Washington, DC, where students will participate in brain education projects. On March 19, a talk will be given by Anne Young, MD, PhD, president of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), a co-sponsor of Brain Awareness Week (BAW) with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.
Mayor Anthony Williams has signed a proclamation designating March 15 to 21 as Brain Awareness Week in Washington, DC. He asks residents to join in observing this week to enhance public awareness of the groundbreaking advances being made in neuroscience research.
The March 19 event follows several weeks of BAW projects, including student- designed posters based on what students have learned about the brain and nervous system. From 10 a.m. until noon on March 19, seventh and eighth graders will attend an assembly where Young will speak about progress in treating neurological disorders. Hands-on sessions with brain tissue will be conducted by Paul Aravich, PhD, of the Pathology and Anatomy Department at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk; and minority fellows Karen David and Wilsaan Mychal Joiner, predoctoral candidates at Johns Hopkins University, will speak about their personal experiences and the career path that led them to neuroscience.
“This project is an excellent opportunity for our students to learn about the wonders of the brain,” said Francis Principal Courtney Fletcher, PhD. “Presenting our children with neuroscience as a career option helps expand their minds to the myriad possibilities available.”
Reporters interested in attending should call Dawn McCoy, director of editorial services, at the Society for Neuroscience, at (202) 462-6688 prior to March 19. She will tell you where to meet at Francis and arrange for interviews and photography.
BAW, which is in its ninth year, involves more than 1,700 partnerships that include scientists, patient advocates, and members of health-care organizations, who organize educational events emphasizing the importance of basic neuroscience research to the health and well-being of the American public.
The Society for Neuroscience, with more than 34,000 members, is the world’s largest organization of basic researchers and clinicians who study the brain and nervous system. For more information about Brain Awareness Week events, please visit the Society for Neuroscience Brain Awareness Web site at: http://www.sfn.org/baw, and the Dana Alliance page at http://www.dana.org/brainweek/.
