The Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition for high school students that aims to motivate students to learn about the brain and pursue careers in science and technology.

The Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition for high school students that aims to motivate students to learn about the brain and pursue careers in science and technology.

Twenty-two students, from more than 10 schools across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, participated in the Regional Brain Bee on February 8, 2019. The answers to tough questions about the nervous system and its diseases were judged by a jury of 22 neuroscientists from different local scientific institutions.

Zoё M. (9a) prepared for the challenge by visiting a tutor program at the Society for Neuroscience, inventing her own flash card system for complicated neuroscientific terms and involving her whole family.

Dr. Benjamin Walker of Georgetown University led eight preliminary rounds and the final 29 questions to determine the winner who would then qualify for the U.S. Championship in April. He told students “The human brain is the only organ that has the capacity to study itself”, and urged them to read Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. After the competition, Bianca B (9a) noted “His humorous tales relaxed me during the competition”.

Students of the Neuroscience AG of the GISW attended as spectators to support their peers and silently played along with the competitors.

Students of the Neuroscience AG of the GISW attended as spectators to support their peers and silently played along with the competitors.

S. Colopy

Other GISW students came along to be part of the audience. Here is a students' report about the Afternoon Course and about the event:

Did you know that Epilepsy is a condition causing unexplained seizures? In our extra-curricular course Neuroscience lead by Ms. Colopy we learn about the structure and function of our brain and nervous system. This afternoon course is taught every Tuesday in the 9^th and 10^th period and welcomes students in 9^th to 12^th grade. To top off this interesting course, we recently visited the Regional Brain Bee at the American University. The contestants representing the German International School Washington D.C. were Zoё M. and Bianca B. They even made it to the 4^th round (Bianca) and the 7^thround (Zoё)! What a success, considering they just started out as neuroscience novices and were newbies at this contest.

Not only was the Brain Bee a delightful experience to expand our neuroscience knowledge, we also enjoyed watching the contestants compete at such a high level.

April T. (9b)