This is the introduction of NeuroConnect when we used to have separate groups for Beginners and Advanced. Click here to read our most up-to-date description of us!

NeuroConnect is an international journal club for teens that meets every two weeks to discuss neuroscience articles! Our aim is to build neuroscience knowledge and improve analytical reading skills while exploring interesting and relevant research in the field of neuroscience. 

Based on your level of experience with neuroscience, you may choose to join one of two discussion groups: Beginners or Advanced. At each discussion, we will review the content of the articles (background, purpose/rationale, experimental design, major findings), consider implications, and talk about any points of interest! Shortly before our first meeting, we will have an orientation for all participants to provide details/materials and get to know each other. 

Successful discussions rely on every member, so please acknowledge that this club will require some time commitment and do your best to attend every meeting. Additionally, please make sure you have a functional microphone as verbal discussion is the main component of the meetings.  We will provide a certificate at the end of the two-month session if you meet all of the requirements (see below). If you cannot attend a meeting, let us know in advance via email! (link.neuroscience@gmail.com) 

Beginners Discussion:

No prior neuroscience knowledge is necessary to participate in the Beginners group! We will mainly be reading secondary articles or news articles about recent neuroscience research. 

Advanced Discussion:

Having a moderate understanding of the nervous system and some experience with reading primary research articles is recommended. We will be discussing both recent and landmark studies, such as Nobel Prize winning papers! 

Scheduling/Time:

Meetings will take place at 2:30 pm EST on alternating Saturdays over the course of two months (Advanced and Beginner groups meet on alternating weeks). Beginner meetings will last 1 hour each, while Advanced meetings will each be 1.5 hours long. You should refer to the calendar to find the meeting dates for each session. Please read the corresponding article(s) prior to the meeting and come prepared with any questions you may have about it. You will also have the opportunity to submit your own discussion questions via a Google Form sent out in the days leading up to the meeting. 

Meeting Platform:

Meetings will occur on the general Discord voice channel. You are encouraged to turn on your camera! You can contribute either by unmuting and speaking or via the text channel.

Certificate Requirements:

In order to earn a certificate at the end of the 2-month session, you must attend at least 3 out of the 4 meetings for your group and be an active participant, meaning that you must contribute at least twice per meeting (via text or by unmuting). 

Group Leaders:

For each 2-month session, we will also have group leaders! As a group leader, you will lead each discussion and ask open-ended questions that direct the discussion towards both key points and additional areas of interest. There will be a separate orientation for group leaders with specific information, but generally speaking, preparation for discussions will include creating a slides presentation, writing questions, and having a strong and detailed understanding of the article. If you are interested in being a group leader, please indicate this on the registration form. We will select 3-4 group leaders for each group. It is especially crucial that you are able to attend every meeting if you intend to apply for group leader!

• Sample slides presentation: