About the Brain Bee

The St. Louis Area Brain Bee (SLABB) is an annual competition for high school students that tests knowledge in neuroscience. Questions come from Brain Facts, a book produced by the Society for Neuroscience. The winner will complete in the 2021 virtual US national.

2021 Brain Bee Schedule

When and Where

Saturday March 27, 2021
12:30p-5pm via Zoom.
Register to receive updates.

 

Why Participate?

Students who participate in the Brain Bee will enjoy hands-on brain activities to learn more about neuroscience, meet students from other schools and connect with St. Louis college students and Washington University faculty. The SLABB competition is a great opportunity for students to read cutting-edge science materials and win prizes, research internships, and trips to other Brain Bee competitions.

Who can Participate?

Any high school/home student from grades 9 to 12 is eligible to compete in the St. Louis Area Brain Bee. We encourage family, friends, teachers and other classmates to support participants and join them for the activities planned at the competition.

Expectations of SLABB Participants

SLABB aims to be a fun, educational, and fair competition that promotes the discoveries and ethics of brain science and scientists. Competitors will abide by the rules and ethics of SLABB in order to ensure a fun event for everyone.  All work will be individual with no answers from other sources.

How to Prepare?

Students can come to fun and informative “Tutorial Sessions”(11a-12p on Zoom, 3/6, 3/13, and 3/20; details shared with registered students. All exam questions are taken from the Brain Facts book, which can be downloaded online for free as a PDF and listened to on SoundCloud. There are many different learning styles, but research studies show that active recall is the best way to learn and remember information. Studying in groups and quizzing each other or using flashcards are some strategies for improving studying.

In addition, there are some Study Aids for St. Louis Area Brain Bee Participants that have been helpful for previous Brain Bee participants.

Sample Study Schedule

Week Chapters in the Brain Facts Book
Jan 18-22 Read, study and/or make flashcards for the Introduction and Chapter 1. Look at some sample problems in the Study Aids to get a sense for the types of questions that are asked.
Jan 25-29 Chapters 2 and 3
Feb 1-5 Chapters 4 and 5
Feb 8-12 Chapters 6, 7, and 8
Feb 15-19 Chapters 9 and 10
Feb 22-26 Chapters 11, 12, and 13
Mar 1-5 Chapters 14 and 15
Mar 8-12 Chapters 16, 17, and 18
Mar 15-19 Go over any chapters that you are still unsure about. Ask a parent or friend to quiz you or use flashcards.
Mar 22-26 Eat and sleep well. You can do some light review and practice problems. Look through the Glossary if you want to do some extra studying. You got this!