Students and faculty members brought the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) Psychology Neuroscience Outreach program to surrounding high schools. The program was done in association with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and a strategic initiative grant to Dr. Rebeca Gilbertson.
Generally, the outreach project has involved 40 university (graduate and undergraduate) students trained in the use of active learning neuroscience equipment and four faculty. When the strategic initiatives grant concluded (supplemental material available from corresponding author), over 330 students in the local area received neuroscience education through hands-on activities (Year 1). An additional 750 middle school students participated in outreach events in Year 2 and Year 3, for a total of over 1,000 students in the local area. The Mobile Neuroscience Lab Project was initially funded through a strategic initiatives grant to foster community engagement.
Media Contributions
UMD Psychology Department Brings Mobile Neuroscience Lab to Cloquet Middle School
CBS3-KJBR March 2025
U of M Brief (March 30, 2022)
University of Minnesota Duluth Psychology Students Bring Neuroscience Lab to Cloquet
Duluth News Tribune March 2022
UMD Students Utilize Neuroscience Lab to Teach Middle Schoolers
CBS3-KJBR March 2022
Mobile Neuroscience Lab Helps Middle Schoolers Have Fun with Brains
Fox21-KQDS November 2019
"UMD mobile lab brings brains to Cloquet Middle School" Pine Journal,
November 2019
"Psychology Students Present EEG Demo at UMD," Fox21-KQDS
September 2016
"Brain Teaser," University of Minnesota Duluth News
August 2016
"UMD Students Inspire Local Youth," Fox21-KQDS
February 2016
"University of Minnesota Duluth Event Summary" Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
February 2016
"UMD Psychology Students Host Neuroscience Lab for Middle
School Students," Fox21-KQDS
December 2015
"UMD Students Bring Neuroscience to Cloquet Middle School,"
KBJR 6 -dual NBC/CBS-affiliated television station
December 2015
"CMS Students Learn About Their Lobes," Pine Journal
December 2015
"UMD, Cloquet, and the Collective Brain," University of
Minnesota Duluth News
December 2015
Presentations
Brain Awareness Week and UMD Psychology Students - UMD Psychology students completed neuroscience outreach at a local middle school to commemorate Dana Foundation's Brain Awareness Week! Neuroscience Outreach '25: Malory Russ, Jagger Thompson, Bella Thomas, Cayden Kleffman, Sydney Whiteis, Sullivan Maki, Abby Smith, Tate Windhurst, Ronald Kuehn, Mary Schabert, Eyoel Desalegn, Hunter Steinke, Josie Abbott
Curtis, J., Olsem, J., Scherf, B., Neuroscience Outreach Team '24, Gilbertson, R.J. "Neuroscience Outreach and Student Science Attitudes: A Longitudinal Study." Twin Ports Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Duluth, Minnesota, United States (May 2024).
Gilbertson, R.J., (Author & Presenter), Hessler, E.E., Ravet, M. "Sharing Neuroscience Cheer: Assessment of a Service Learning Component of a Physiological Psychology Course", National Institute on Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. (January 2022).
Birkholz, S., (Author & Presenter)*, O’Neill, J., (Author & Presenter)*, Ait Daoud, I.*, Hasselbrink, J.*, Wiechman, S.*, Walton, K. M., Gilbertson, R. J., (Author) "Assessment of Students’ Science Attitudes Following Neuroscience Outreach", Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Illinois, United States. (May 2019).
Hujanen, J., (Author & Presenter)*, Birkholz, S., (Author & Presenter)*, Hessler, E. E., (Author), Gilbertson, R. J., (Author) "Neuroscience Outreach in the Middle School Classroom", Midwestern Psychological Association - Society for Teaching of Psychology, Chicago, Illinois, United States. (May 2017).
Gilbertson, R. J., (Author & Presenter), Leff, D. J., (Author)*, Hessler, E. E., (Author) "Spreading Neuroscience Cheer: Development of the “Mobile Neuroscience Lab” for Use in Secondary Education Classrooms", National Institute on Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. (January 2017).
Electronic essay
E-xcellence in Teaching (Society for the Teaching of Psychology) Leff, D. J., & Gilbertson, R. J. Spreading “Neuroscience Cheer”: Development and Implementation of a Mobile Neuroscience Lab for Community Engagement.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Article
Gilbertson, R.J., Hessler, E.E., & Leff, D.J. (2022). Active learning and community engagement: Pedagogical synergy facilitated through the Mobile Neuroscience Lab Project. The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 21(3), A322-A329.