By A Fish

NeuroCATS has a new tool to teach students throughout the Commonwealth and beyond about the nervous system  — SynapseKentucky.  

The series of videos is broken down by grade range: elementary school, middle school and high school. They’re designed to augment science curricula as well as the outreach offered by NeuroCATS, a University of Kentucky student organization that visits schools with lessons on neuroscience. The videos feature students explaining key aspects of neuroscience, Titles include “Introduciton to the Spinal Cord” and “Conceptual Check: The Central Nervous System.” 

Since 2016, NeuroCATS members have visited more than 8,000 K-12 students in Kentucky classrooms. This year, they shared neuroscience with nearly 2,000 students across the state. Science outreach is the primary mission of the group, and they have developed wonderful programs for students of all ages. Mark Prendergast, director of the UK neuroscience program and professor of psychology, is the faculty adviser. 

“SynapseKentucky is designed to be used in classrooms throughout Kentucky and beyond,” he said. “Because we cannot reach everyone classroom, this program allows anyone, anywhere to access the NeuroCATS outreach materials.” 

Zach Brown, the president of NeuroCATS and a neuroscience major from Lexington, said he hopes to get feedback from the teachers and students who are using them in class. He hopes these videos are shared by teachers who will reach out to the NeuroCATS program for a visit.

 “At this point, feedback is critical, any teachers, students, or others are encouraged to visit our website and provide feedback on their lessons,” he said. 

When Brown was in high school, he took dual credit classes on the Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeCooper campus. He is a native Lexingtonian and felt at home on UK’s campus, prompting him to apply and attend the school. His interest in neuroscience eventually led him to lead NeuroCATS. 

“I started off as an outreach coordinator with Neuro Cats for the two years prior to my term as a president,” Brown said. “I would reach out to high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in the vicinity of Lexington, Fayette County and all the surrounding counties. We would go to them and bring the brain and teach them about the nervous system and various other science topics.”