Abstract

Since its inception in 1993, the Colorado College (CC) Elementary School Outreach Program for Neuroscience Education has interacted with over 4,250 children in the Colorado Springs community. The program introduces elementary school children (Grades 1-5) to basic neuroscience by providing them with hands-on experience with human and non-human brain tissue. At the end of a Neuroscience course, CC students visit local elementary schools in pairs to present a variety of interactive exercises for the children, including activities on comparative neuroanatomy (i.e., comparing the brains of different species), functional neuroscience (i.e., the functions of different lobes), and basic aspects of neuropharmacology (i.e., how drugs affect the brain). CC students also answer children's questions about the brain. The program has received overwhelming community support. Moreover, it has provided a valuable "learning through teaching" experience for CC students, and a unique learning opportunity for the elementary school children.

As a result of this program, we regularly receive thank-you letters from the elementary school children. Because children often do say the most amazing things, we present here excerpts from these letters, which are sometimes serious, and often humorous. (Human brain tissue for this program is generously provided by Dr. D. Bowerman, El Paso County Coroner.)

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