High Schoolers Mentor Eighth Graders During Neuroscience and Society Day

On Thursday, September 26th the LPNS held its first Neuroscience and Society Day. During the day-long event, 16 Senn High School students mentored 28 eighth graders from McCutcheon Elementary School through a series of neuroscience activities. The high school students had designed the activities over the summer during the near peer mentoring part of their ETHOS training. 

During the six-week-long summer component of ETHOS, students spent four days per week alongside faculty and students in neuroscience labs but switched gears on Fridays when they received professional development guidance and training on how to become mentors for middle schoolers. Part of this program involved coming up with fun activities for eighth graders designed to familiarize them with neuroscience concepts. For example, one activity invites students to reflect on whether they considered addiction a disease or a choice by putting Post-It notes along an axis. The fruit of their labor was on display during Neuroscience and Society Day when the Senn students put the five activities they developed to the test.

Asked before the event how he felt about mentoring a group of eighth graders, Senn High School senior Salah E. showed some apprehension: “I don’t know how they will be reacting,” he said. Measured by the positive reaction of his audience, his fear proved to be unfounded.

After the groups of middle schoolers had cycled through four activities, the morning portion of the day came to an end. After lunch had been served, the day concluded with a tour of the neuroscience labs at Loyola University and a reflection about the connection between neuroscience and society