Involving Students in Neuroscience Experiments through Unusual Contexts

Drawing on two experiences involving neuroscience researchers from SISSA and science engagement activities and spaces managed by Sissa Medialab, the session will share outcomes and provide guidelines for embracing such type of activities.
The first example is “Brains@work”; a collaboration between two neuroscience projects and “Sissa for Schools”, aiming to involve children 8-12 years old in discovering and engaging with the research carried out at Sissa. The original aspect is how school students are recruited, especially during summer months—when children participate in after-school and summer service activities provided by local non-profit organizations and the Town Council—but also the fact that they participate in behavioral experiments in an active way.
The second example is the “Week of Smell”; it takes place at Trieste Città della Conoscenza, an interactive space for science engagement located within the main train station in the city of Trieste, which has the potential to attract and involve a great variety of “unusual” audiences. In this case, the neuroscientists temporarily install their research equipment within the interactive space and conduct experiments, which allow them to collect data on understanding the sense of smell, and engage citizens in better understanding the research and join future activities.