Though still in the beginning stages of development, Frames of Mind will develop a wide-reaching system to pair neuroscientists with school counselors in short neuroeducation seminars. Preliminary research on the effects of neuroscientific knowledge for counselors is overwhelmingly positive — despite the low time commitment and, given the complexity of neuroscience, the relatively incomplete information provided by a single four hour session , counselors regularly note the utility of neuroscience-based concepts and tools in their interactions with students, as well as their attitudes toward and understanding of their work. Here are some of the key findings:

• Participants repeatedly used neuroscience to normalize common adolescent experiences and used neuroscience to improve individuals’ perception of adolescents.

• Participants used or envisioned using neuroscience to help increase students’ understanding of themselves.

• Participants frequently used neuroscience to educate teachers/parents and talked about ways they could use neuroscience research to advocate for larger systemic changes that support adolescents’ healthy development.

In other words, neuroeducation provides a whole lot of bang for its buck. By bringing together scientists and counselors around the world, we hope to leverage neuroscience to benefit young people everywhere.

Our approach is simple. Using an empirically-tested curriculum produced by Raissa Miller, our advisor and a leading expert in neuroeducation, we conduct professional development sessions, taught by professional neuroscientists, for school counselors. The curriculum includes basic information on brain structure and cognitive development. More importantly, however, it also includes exercises, tools, and metaphors based in the neuroscience of development and adolescence, which counselors can use immediately in their practice. Additionally, we provide neuroscience resources for counselors to use in discussions with parents, teachers, and administrators. The curriculum we bring to any particular session is based on a needs survey circulated to counselors before the session — the problems faced by counselors in Lesotho and Sacramento will differ, and we believe it is crucial to center our curriculum in the particular experiences of those using it.

Currently, we are developing pilot programs in Boston and South Africa, with the intention to expand programming further in the coming months and years.

If you’re a K-12 school counselor or a researcher in neuroscience/psychology, and you’re interested in setting up and/or leading sessions in your area, or you want to ask us a question/learn more, please get in touch!