Ava Chuppe
Staff Writer
[email protected]

After receiving a grant from the Dana Foundation, psychology professor Megan St. Peters conducted a two-day Brain Fair for kindergarten through third-grade students at Murray Elementary School on Feb. 18 and 25.

The Brain Fair was held in celebration of Brain Awareness Week, the global campaign coordinated by the Dana Foundation to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science.

The foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in New York City, is dedicated to neuroscience education and exploring the intersection of topics such as neuroscience and ethics, law, policy, humanities or arts. 

St. Peters was awarded the grant following an application process.

“I participated in a similar event that was funded by this granting agency when I was a [postdoctoral student], so that’s how I was aware of it,” St. Peters said.

St. Peters completed the application, which outlined the goals, plans and budget of her proposed program, within three weeks. She also contacted the principal and the Parent-Teacher Organization of Murray Elementary and received a letter from the school expressing support for the fair.

Shauna Traylor, a physical education teacher at Murray Elementary, helped St. Peters run the event.

“Students loved the hands-on activities, visuals and demonstrations presented at the fair,” Traylor said. “With these activities, the students were able to better understand the importance of protecting the brain, emotions that our bodies have and what parts of the brain controls different aspects of the body.”

At the fair, 19 graduate and upper-level undergraduate psychology students volunteered to work shifts.

Murray Elementary students rotated every 15 minutes between four interactive stations. 

At one of the stations, students received brain-shaped stress balls and discussed what happens to the brain when one feels anxious. Afterward, they learned relaxation techniques.

At another station, students interacted with eggs in containers that represented how the brain floats inside the skull. They learned helmets protect the brain and were given pamphlets on bicycle safety.

St. Peters said she thinks it’s important for young children to learn about the brain.

“One of the cool things I liked was showing them about their emotions and how we can control ourselves,” St. Peters said. “I think knowledge is power and just knowing that you’re not just at the mercy of how you’re feeling … Neuroscience is a growing field, so I just want to make people fall in love with it as soon as possible and expand the field even more.”

The fair took place close to Valentine’s Day, so students also talked about the regions of the brain involved in love and made what St. Peters called “anatomically correct” Valentines for their families.

“We told them that they got to go home and tell their parents the big secret that love has nothing to do with your heart,” St. Peters said. “It’s actually your brain.”

In the future, St. Peters said she plans to reapply for the grant.

“We had great reception,” St. Peters said. “The principal and all the teachers and students really enjoyed it.”

Murray State students interested in learning more about the brain and neuroscience are encouraged to take Physiological Psychology or email St. Peters at [email protected].