Objective:

Background:

The Grey Matter Project is a successful network of high school chapters focused on providing education in neurology and medicine to high school students. Founded in 2022, the Grey Matter Project has experienced significant growth with chapters globally. Given the increasing interest in neurology education among high school students, it is essential to understand the most effective methods for educating this demographic. There has been minimal research in this area in the past, highlighting the need for further exploration.

Design/Methods:

The Grey Matter Project hosts monthly lectures covering a myriad of neurology topics. We will summarize data collected over the past three academic years, including the current year. This data encompasses various aspects, such as the types of content that drive participation and attendance. Additionally, we will evaluate the techniques employed in previous years, detailing the rationale for their continuation or discontinuation.

Results:

Data collection is ongoing. We have observed that incorporating more interactive elements encourages students to ask additional questions during sessions. Additionally, having a more open-ended curriculum fosters student initiative, leading to the organization of their own events independent of the Grey Matter Project.

Conclusions:

Although data collection is ongoing, we have generally found that featuring younger professional speakers facilitates more engaging discussions between students and speakers. We also have observed that breakout rooms with career panelists are effective in encouraging conversation and building connections. This approach also provides students with an opportunity to practice professional communication in a low-stakes environment.