Brain Walk 2008

The Brain Injury Association of Alberta and our partners in brain injury service delivery are committed to the development and implementation of the Provincial Initiative for a Strategy for the Prevention of Brain Injury throughout Alberta. The backbone of the Initiative will focus on educational packages that will not only provide information, but inspire individuals to engage in brain safety behaviors. Personal assessment of risk and “what have I got to lose?” are concepts that affect decisions that individuals make regarding safety issues throughout the lifespan. Educational programs have been developed geared to youth in school, including the Brain Walk and Team Terrific.

Brain Walk is a 10-station interactive learning experience for school children in grades K- 9. Each station focuses on a lobe of the brain as well as stations for prevention, brain injury outcomes and a video on real life experiences of young people who have had a brain injury. Stations involve different activities that the children participate in under the guidance of a volunteer facilitator. Interactive learning includes hands-on games, visual activities, tasting, physical activity so learning can occur in various domains. How the whole event plays out is a group of about 60 children come into the gym or other large area where the Brain Walk is set up. A general introduction occurs. The main group is then broken up into 10 equally divided groups that go to an individual station. The kids interact at each station for about 5-6 minutes and then rotate on to the next station till all have been attended. Following a complete rotation through all the 10 stations, there is a brief re-gathering to discuss the experience. Each of these sessions last about 60-70 minutes.

The purpose of the Brain Walk is to inspire the children to realize how important the brain is and what it can do, so they develop a natural desire to protect the brain through brain safety behaviors such as wearing helmets.

Team Terrific is a PowerPoint presentation by a health educator illustrating how the brain works and what happens when it is injured. The presentation is geared towards grades 10-12; however can be utilized for general youth, community presentations. There is a review of 5 SMARTRISK strategies to prevent injury with a simulation so audience participants experience what it feels like to have a brain injury.

There are true stories of perseverance told by brain injury survivors who are with the health educator at the presentations. Typically these survivors are under 25 and relate well to teens.

Presentations take approximately 50-60 minutes.