Neuroscience Outreach Program

The Neuroscience Outreach Program (NOP) in the Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS) is a nationally acclaimed outreach program aimed at improving the Kingston community’s understanding and awareness of neuroscience. NOP was formed by students looking for a way in which to interact with each other, the department, and the Kingston community in a socially purposed manner. All of our outreach programs are student-led and student-driven and designed to engage both researchers and the community.  Currently, NOP offers twelve unique programs. Whether students wish to participate in a public lecture series, perform hands-on experiments with children and youth, or provide companionship through arts and crafts, there is an outreach program for everyone. The CNS and the Student Leadership Committee are also happy to help with the creation of new outreach programs to ensure that each of our graduate students is able to get involved in a personally meaningful and impactful way.

*Please note due to COVID-19 restrictions, some of these programs were limited.

Programs

Beads of Purpose

Beads of Purpose (BoP) is a social enterprise that aims to aid adults with developmental delays to develop skills that will guide their involvement in employment rolls. The objective
was to develop a team of volunteers and participants to create and sell homemade
bracelets.

Brain Awareness Day

Every May, the Centre for Neuroscience Studies plays host to approximately 250 grade 5 students from local elementary schools. The students enjoy a daylong event where they
are engaged in demonstrations, activities, and hands-on experiments to teach them all about 
neuroscience research.

Brain Badge

Teaching young children all about the brain is extremely rewarding! the Brain Badge program is a workshop for Sparks, Scouts, Brownies, Beavers, and Cubs (age 2-15 years old) in the Kingston and greater Kingston area.

Brain Bee

The Brain Bee is a three-tiered, world-renowned competition for future neuroscientists. The Centre for Neuroscience Studies has hosted the Kingston Brain Bee for the past eleven years. This competition for high school students aims to inspire an interest in neuroscience and brain research, as well as provides students with an enrichment opportunity to learn about concepts not typically taught until the third year of university or beyond.

Brain Reach

Brain Reach is a graduate student initiative created to stimulate learning and curiosity-driven 
education. Once a month, dedicated volunteers from Queen’s University will go to the classroom to lead sessions on different aspects of the brain’s mysterious machinery.

BrainStorm Speaker Series

Each month from January through June students from Queen’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies talk about their research. These series are hosted in collaboration with the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program

the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Program currently consists of graduate students from the Centre for Neuroscience Studies who visit the child and adolescent inpatient unit
at Kingston General Hospital. The goal of our program is to encourage health and well-being, so we often focus on activities that are relaxing or beneficial to mental health.

Policy and Neuroscience Society (PNS)

The Policy and Neuroscience Society is a group of graduate students providing public science communication and advocating for evidence based public policy. Our goal is to improve public scientific literacy by developing clear and accessible resources.

Research and Information Science Education (RISE)

RISE is a diverse group of student volunteers working towards the common goal of providing critical thinking and science education to children grades 6-8. The volunteers are classroom educators who go into classrooms to provide education sessions on science and research skills. The volunteers have bi-weekly meetings, and each educator does 4 classroom sessions.

Science Rendezvous

Science Rendezvous is a national family-oriented event that showcases the scientific research taking place across Canada hosted by the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. The event is free to the public and families can come to learn about research in science, technology, and engineering, talk to scientists about their work, and take part in fun experiments and activities.

Social Club

The Social Club is a unique program where volunteers come together to give back to the Kingston Community by engaging patients and residents at long-term care facilities (Providence Care Kingston) with various crafts and activities.