BRAINLINK: Adventures in Health and Science Education

Baylor College of Medicine, Division of School Based Programs, Houston, TX

Contact Person: Ms. Judith H. Dresden
Phone: (713) 798-8205 Fax: (713) 798-8201
jdresden@bcm.tmc.edu

Scientists, clinicians and educators have worked together in Baylor College of Medicine's BrainLink project to develop instructional materials for elementary and middle school children. BrainLink materials are designed to make neuroscience concepts easily accessible to children, teachers and families, while communicating the fun and excitement of "doing" science and promoting healthy behaviors. Each instructional unit (Brain Comparisons, Motor Highways, Sensory Signals and Memory & Learning) contains three interrelated components: a guide to hands-on classroom activities, an adventure storybook (with multi-cultural characters), and a mini-magazine (also in Spanish) that can be used at home, or in museums and other settings, for parent and community involvement.

After five years of development, field testing, review and revision, the BrainLink project now is being disseminated nationally. BrainLink materials are being used both to enhance health and science curricula in schools and other agencies, and by scientists in education outreach programs throughout the nation. Regional dissemination centers providing access to scientists, information, BrainLink materials and workshops for assistance in their use are located at Baylor College of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, the University of Kentucky-Chandler Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. New editions, including Spanish versions of all materials, are being made available commercially, and the creation of additional units is planned beyond grant funding.

NIH/SEPA Grant no. 5 R25 RR09833