The Oregon Brainstorms Partnership (OBP) brings together Oregon health science researchers, educators, and health and human services providers with staff from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in a collaborative effort to improve public understanding of the role of scientific research and its contribution to the health sciences.
The Oregon Brainstorms Partnership was established in 1992 with a three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the U.S. Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration's (ADAMHA) Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program. The original partners were the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), the R. S. Dow Neurological Sciences Institute (NSI), and the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (ORPRC).
Phase 1
During the first three years, the partnership's primary goal was to provide an opportunity for health service providers and the public to learn more about the brain, the effects of drug abuse, and neuroscience research. To meet that goal, OBP sponsored
- a two-and-a-half-day conference on neuroscience research for health service providers, held in May 1993.
- a two-day teleconference on drug use and addiction, held in September 1994. The teleconference linked neuroscience researchers and health service providers at ten Oregon sites.
- a one-day conference on health topics such as adolescent substance abuse, held in October 1995.
- Brain Matters, a hands-on interactive exhibit on the brain, designed and built by OMSI, which has already traveled to exhibition sites in 10 states.
- an animated public service announcement addressing the use of alcohol and drugs by pregnant teens, created by OMSI in collaboration with Will Vinton Studios.
Phase 2 In 1996 OBP was awarded a second three-year grant from NIH. During this phase, the partnership expanded to include the University of Oregon, Reed College, Portland State University, and Portland Public Schools.
The focus expanded as well, to include other topics in health and human biology related to neuroscience and the human life cycle. The goal was to link research scientists with Oregon public school educators in order to increase teachers' and students' understanding of the benefits of basic health science research.
During phase two, OMSI developed exhibit ideas and prototypes for interactive exhibits on the heart, the lungs, and aging. The partnership also organized a series of teacher workshops, the OBP Summer Institutes, and launched the OBP website.
The OBP Summer Institutes and Web Site
OBP Summer Institutes were held in 1997, 1998, and 1999. During the four-day workshops, Portland-area elementary and middle-school teachers worked with research scientists, university professors, and science educators from OMSI to develop inquiry-based units on health science topics, such as the brain, the senses, body systems and nutrition. Integral to each unit was a visit to OMSI for students to experience relevant exhibits and participate in hands-on activities.
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| Classroom teachers, health science researchers, and OMSI staff worked together to develop units on health science topics at the OBP Summer Institutes. | |
Curriculum developed during the Summer Institutes was field tested by the teacher-developers, revised, and prepared for publication on the OBP website.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry | http://www.omsi.edu/visit/life/obp/