FENS Advocacy Translation Grant 2024: Empowering Slovene Youth with SiNAPSA’s Neuroscience Initiative

06 September 2024

FENS News

With the support of the FENS Advocacy Translation Grant 2024, the Slovenian Neuroscience Society (SiNAPSA) launched a series of initiatives to promote neuroscience among the Slovene community. Beginning in March 2024, the initiatives focused on translating English outreach materials into Slovene. FENS is proud to share the achievements of SiNAPSA, a FENS member society, which serves as an inspiration for future efforts to promote neuroscience at the local level.

These efforts are part of the Youth Starter Kit to the Brain and How to Take Care of It campaign, aiming at bringing neuroscience to life in classrooms, community centres, and homes across Slovenia.

To reach this goal, SiNAPSA created two comprehensive educational bundles.

Bundle 1: My Brain Robbie

The first bundle revolves around the translation into Slovene of the animated English video My Brain Robbie, created by Prof. Dr Eléonore Bayen (Sorbonne University, FR). With Prof. Bayen’s approval, the video was translated, synchronised, and enhanced with Slovene sign language interpretation, making it accessible to a broader audience. This video is now available on SiNAPSA’s YouTube channel and on the project website.

In addition to the video, SiNAPSA developed a variety of supplementary materials:

  • Robbie’s Briefcase of Good Habits for a Healthy Brain: A booklet designed to promote brain health habits.
  • Robbie-Themed Memory Card Game: A fun, educational game that reinforces the key messages from the video.
  • Interactive Slideshow: This serves as a tool for teachers and educators to engage children in discussions about brain health.
  • Robbie brain web page: Here the public can get introduced to Robbie and access educational material and information about the project

Children Workshop structure

This translated video and related materials were used to create workshops for children, teachers, and families. The goal was to go beyond learning, encouraging creativity and offering children opportunities to ask questions and interact. The sessions typically follow the schedule outlined below:

  • Display of the Robbie themed video
  • Display of the slideshow and interactive repetition of Robbie’s healthy habits
  • Q&A session regarding brain and health
  • Creative activities: children shape model neurons or draw their impression of Robbie
  • After the workshop, children can take home Robbie-themed booklet and memory card game, as well as the drawings or models they created

Feedback and results

Since the campaign’s launch on 13 March 2024, the My Brain Robbie bundle has been utilised in eight workshops, reaching about 200 people between children, teachers and parents, including groups of special needs and hearing-impaired pupils. All educational materials are freely available online, ensuring broader access and continued learning opportunities.

Based on anonymous questionnaires, the positive feedback from both children and adults has been exceptional. Teachers and parents underlined the campaign’s success in filling a knowledge gap about brain health in the community.

Efforts are underway to expand this successful campaign. Through a collaboration with the Slovenian Public Health Institute, around 30 disease prevention centres across Slovenia will be trained in August and September 2024 to engage children and families using the Robbie materials. Plans are also in progress to extend this initiative to primary school teachers in Slovenia.

Bundle 2: Brain Facts

The second bundle features a translated and adapted version of the Brain Facts booklet by the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).

Inspired by the booklet, SiNAPSA developed an original board game that engages players through knowledge-based competition and interactive exercises that challenge both the brain and body, appealing to individuals of all age groups.

The project recently received a science promotion grant from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, bringing them one step closer to making these materials widely available.

Acknowledgment and Future Goals

The FENS Advocacy Translation Grant 2024 highlights the role of FENS in fostering neuroscience education across Europe, and its commitment to bridging the gap between scientific research and society. This grant has been instrumental in bringing SiNAPSA’s project to life, integrating neuroscience into the everyday lives of Slovenians, and underscoring the importance of community-driven initiatives in advancing brain education.

“We believe that the user-friendly nature of all of the translated and adapted materials will facilitate intergenerational communication and cooperation, allowing for an overall greater impact of our efforts to promote brain and neuroscience awareness and to improve brain health.” – SiNAPSA Team

The SiNAPSA team looks forward to continuing their work in promoting brain health and neuroscience awareness, with plans to expand their outreach and develop new educational resources in the future.

For more information about the project and to access the educational materials, visit SiNAPSA’s project website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.