Mobile Minds Expands Into Broward County

Florida Atlantic University’s MobileMinds, an educational outreach program with the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (SNBI), extended its reach into Broward County, continuing to make a significant impact in the South Florida community. This expansion was made possible due to a generous grant from the Sharron and Joseph Ashby Hubert Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward.

“MobileMinds is growing, reaching new communities and opening doors for students who might not otherwise have access to this kind of hands-on science education,” said Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., director of community engagement and programming at the SNBI. “The generous support from the Community Foundation of Broward is helping us expand our reach across South Florida, inspiring curiosity about the brain and sparking interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers at a critical time in students’ lives.”

MobileMinds takes STEM education on the road and into the classroom, giving more students access to brain science education. This funding supported the addition of staff members and a new MobileMinds van, wrapped in kid-friendly brain illustrations, with touchscreen and virtual reality-based learning activities, allowing the program to visit more sites in Broward County. The MobileMinds team and Community Foundation of Broward celebrated the new van at a ribbon cutting event.

With the program, students participate in lessons that explore brain anatomy, neural communication, and the biological foundations of behavior and mental health. These hands-on interactive sessions also introduce students to how scientists study and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Since 2023, MobileMinds has engaged with 2,424 students in Broward County, visiting seven schools, both middle and elementary schools. MobileMinds also partnered with the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale to participate in the museum’s Discovery Day, interacting with more than 5,000 visitors to the museum.

MobileMinds’ goal is to bridge the gap in STEM education and learning particularly among middle and high school students in South Florida. Sites visited include Title I public schools and alternative education and correctional facilities.

“There are so many students who don’t have the opportunities that I had and giving back to the community has always been important to me,” said David Cinalli, Ph.D., MobileMinds director. “We hope to impact students at an age where we see interest in STEM subjects drop off sharply and inspire them to consider careers in science and technology.”

Starting in Palm Beach County, MobileMinds has expanded to five counties and over the past four years has reached over 22,740 students across 55 schools. This year alone, it engaged a total of 12,325 students at 32 schools, including in Broward County.

To learn more about how Florida Atlantic is helping to propel student success, as well as how Transcend Tomorrow: The Campaign for Florida Atlantic University is working to train more health care workers and improve health outcomes, visit transcendtomorrow.fau.edu.