Raising the next generation of Renaissance thinkers

The Brain Observatory houses a fully-functional research laboratory. Students and visitors can learn about the brain by utilizing authentic, state-of-the-art scientific equipment and by exploring real data, including samples from a large collection of donated human brains.

Our neuroscience curriculum draws inspiration from the rich history of the interplay between art and science, notably embodied by the humanist artists of the Renaissance like Leonardo da Vinci.  Our work with schoolchildren aims at creating a new, diverse generation of Reinassance thinkers who will approach world problems in currently unthinkable ways. 

In practice, we teach scientific illustration alongside digital technologies and encourage students to experiment with different media to represent their inner thoughts and emotions.

We believe that art can heal and that it is the best means to reach and uplift at-risk youth who suffer under the weight of socioeconomic and emotional stressors. We want to stimulate personal artistic expression in young scholars while also offering them a more benign and relatable image of the world of science and showing pathways to successful careers in either field.

Scientific illustration (Kiwi fruit, or Actinidia deliciosa), brain dissections, and ‘eyes-on’ STEM experiences are some of the activities of the Young Brain Explorer training camp.

Young Brain Explorer Training 

The brain is our inner universe, and like the universe, it is still largely unexplored. Furthermore, the human brain is so incredibly complex that we believe its mysteries can only be explained through a mix of diverse backgrounds, cultural perspectives, talents, and skills. Every year, The Young Brain Explorer Training program recruits a new crew of young artists and scientists to embark on a mission to chart different territories of the brain and map their functions.

The program is a voyage across brain landscapes during which students learn to associate neurological structures with different aspects of their behavior and lifestyle. In practice, our explorers in training learn about the brain and brain function through sports activities, and games, and by testing their talents in the visual and performing arts. At the end of the journey, students will have gained a brand new perspective on what makes them who they are and, most importantly, they will have more agency and control over their thoughts and actions. 

View Videos and Images from the Summer Camp 2023