Gold Award Girl Scout Creates Brain Awareness Campaign

Press release from Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey:

December 15, 2020

BRIDGEWATER, NJ - December 15, 2020 - If you ask Gold Award Girl Scout Ellie Pan what the most important organ in the human body is, she would unhesitatingly say the brain.

Ellie, a senior at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, has been interested in human behavior for as long as she could remember so when identifying an issue to address with her Gold Award project, she turned to her passion.

Through her organization, The Reign of the Brain, Ellie conducted a six-week series of workshops last June for local students in grades 1-6. Each week, the virtual sessions explored the structures, functions, and diseases of the brain and nervous systems along with brain safety.

“Neuroscience combines my love for science and interest in human behavior. I realized that the nervous system is not widely taught in my school district, compared to other body systems, and given the fact that the brain is an extremely vital organ, I felt it was important to help educate others,” Ellie, 17, said, adding that she would like to pursue neuroscience in college.

Due to the pandemic, she had to switch her series of workshops from in-person to virtual, which was challenging but worth it, according to Ellie.

“The virtual platforms allowed me to explore new ways of engaging students and allowed me to keep kids learning and interactive with others their age during a time of isolation,” she said.

As part of the series, two neuroscientists - Dr. Sabine Kastner from Princeton University and Dr. Syed Abid Hussaini from Columbia University - were invited to talk with the students about the type of work they do and what the profession of neuroscience looks like. The series culminated in a final project.

Ellie, who has been a part of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) Troop 60810 for 13 years, said that to her, Girl Scouts means “being a part of a community of strong women who want to make the world a better place.”

“The opportunities to volunteer and help others are endless as a Girl Scout and having that access has allowed me to have some of the most rewarding experiences,” she added.

To ensure the sustainability of her project outside of her direct involvement, and to increase her reach, Ellie created both a website, www.thereignofthebrain.com, and Facebook page @The Reign of the Brain. Ellie’s lesson plans, slides, and interactive activities are all viewable on the website, and she has partnered with Dana Foundation’s Brain Awareness Week (BAW) to implement events for the program.

“Ellie has turned her passion for neuroscience into a unique learning opportunity for young students in her district, and that’s exactly what Gold Award projects are about: utilizing your passion to better your community,” said GSHNJ CEO Natasha Hemmings. “GSHNJ wishes Ellie much success in her bright future as a neuroscientist.”

This press release was produced by Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey. The views expressed here are the author's own.