MYELIN Initiative

Our Mission Currently, there are very few opportunities to study neuroscience before entering universities. The Modern Youth Education, Leadership, and Inquiry in Neuroscience (MYELIN) initiative is a student-led project which seeks to change this by developing a high school neuroscience curriculum. We hope to develop a classroom-ready course which will introduce students around the world to the wonders of the brain. When finished, MYELIN will be available for free to all teachers and students.

Framework The MYELIN course is being constructed around a hybrid of the New Generation Science Standards and the Understanding by Design frameworks. The finished product will contain 30 lessons divided into 7 modules, built around our MYELIN Big Ideas. Big Ideas Topics Materials

Timeline Step 1: Big Ideas Select a set of central concepts around which the course will be structured.

Step 2: Curriculum Framework Organize the key areas of neuroscience into a series of cohesive modules.

Step 3: Learning Objectives Develop a set of expected learning outcomes for each lesson in the MYELIN Initiative.

Step 4: Lecture Slides Write a set of lecture slides which will meet the previously-developed learning objectives.

Step 5: Paper Labs Create interactive activities to introduce students with the principles of scientific inquiry but require no expensive laboratory materials.

Step 6: Accompanying Materials Prepare teachers guides, test banks, and guides lecture notes to make the MYELIN Curriculum easier to introduce into classrooms.

Step 7: Professional Review Consult with a variety of educators and scientists to make the curriculum as effective as it possibly can be.

Step 8: Pilot Curriculum Have teachers test MYELIN materials, and use their feedback to further improve the curriculum.

Step 9: Publicize and Distribute Promote the MYELIN curriculum around the world to ensure that as many students as possible can receive a high-quality neuroscience education.

Step 10: Online Course Develop a MOOC for MYELIN so that any student can learn neuroscience, regardless of whether their school offers the course.

Become a Partner We are actively looking for organizations, companies, schools, and researchers to partner with to make MYELIN as good as if can be. If you are interested in collaborating, email us at myelinexec@youthneuro.org.

Contribute We are always looking for new contributors to help us advance this ambitious project. If you are interested in helping educate the next generation of neuroscientists, apply to join the MYELIN curriculum development team below. Join the Team!