5th Annual Brain Fair Held at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
March 2014 – Hundreds of school children and University of Miami scientists celebrated Brain Awareness Week at the Miami Brain Fair 2014 on Saturday, March 22, at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science at 3280 South Miami Ave in Miami. This science event annual educates children of all ages about how the brain works with fun, interactive activities.
Scientists from over eight universities in South Florida converged for the one day event at the Museum of Science to unite and teach children about the science of the brain. “This event nurtures in children a love for science by teaching them that even a complex science, such as neuroscience, can be easy to understand and fun to study,” said event organizer and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine / Miami Project to Cure Paralysis neuroscientist Coleen Atkins, Ph.D. “Brain injury is the number one cause of death and disability for children. At the Miami Brain Fair, we teach children how to protect their brain during sports and even distribute free bike helmets.” Puppet shows were also a featured event designed to teach kids about brain injury prevention.
High school students from top high schools in the area were challenged to test their neuroscience knowledge in the Miami Brain Bee and Brain Jeopardy. “Our first place Brain Bee winner last year, Luis Gonzalez from Western High School, competed nationally in Baltimore, MD, in the United States National Brain Bee,” added Dr. Atkins.
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen attended and spoke about the importance of neuroscience education. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen recently commemorated the Miami Brain Fair on the floor of the United States House of Representatives on March 11, 2014. Her speech can be seen here.
The event included more than 1400 attendees and nearly 350 volunteers. There were a total of thirty exhibits from eight universities, one hospital and one high school. In an effort to promote safety, 275 bike helmets were distributed to children in attendance.