College group inspires youth to enter science fields
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014 14:58 PM

The minds of today's youth are full of potential, and IQ tests can show just how intelligent young people can be. However, some children don't have access to information on the brain and how it works. This can limit their understanding of neurological processes and how to keep their brains functioning at optimal levels. Groups like the West Virginia University (WVU) Undergraduate Neuroscience Club want to change this unfortunate circumstance.

The Neuroscience Club recently visited the Woodburn School in Morgantown, West Virginia, as part of their outreach program to teach students in third through seventh grade about brain science and possible career options in the field. The Club's main purpose in visiting elementary and junior high schools is to talk to children about their potential abilities as scientists and researchers who might otherwise be left unaware of what they can achieve. Program activities included constructing simple models of the human brain from play putty and examining the actual brain of sheep. The young students participating in the program also had the opportunity to compare and contrast the different neurological systems in rats, fish and common farm animals. According to Kathryn Baker, a junior biology student at WVU and founder of the Neuroscience Club, immersing young people in science can open up doors they never knew existed.

"We want to get kids excited about the brain," Baker told The Daily Athenaeum.  "Everyone in the Neuroscience Club thinks it's fascinating, and I think if kids are introduced to it at an early age, they'll carry that with them the rest of their lives and always be thinking about how the brain controls their thoughts and activities."

Creating successful youth outreach programs that advocate careers in science will be paramount to the survival of exploration and research in these fields. Groups like WVU's Neuroscience Club produce great role models who young children can look up to and inspire kids to achieve academic success.