JUPITER — The recent Neuroscience Discovery Day attracted more than 3,000 people to enjoy the tours, lectures, panel discussions, interactive exhibits, live music and other festivities that coincided with the official grand opening of its facility hosted by the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.

More than 20 posters were presented. The students who won first-place awards included: Ximena Hasbach, Dreyfoos School of the Arts – Best Overall; Mihael Cudic, Atlantic High School – Best Scientific Content; Marc Moise, Lake Worth School – Best Use of Visuals; Melanie Grande, Suncoast High School – Most Creative; and David Heaton, West Boca Raton High School – Best Oral Summary.

Scripps Florida will again host a “CELLebrate” science day at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens on Saturday, Feb, 2, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. This yearly family-friendly event, free and open to the public, appeals to all ages. Scripps Florida staff will conduct exciting science demonstrations throughout the day. There will also be mind-expanding interactive exhibits, organizers say, and Scripps Florida scientists will be present to discuss their groundbreaking research.

“As the state of Florida has become a hub for the biotech industry, it is vital that our students and their families understand the impact of biotechnology on maintaining and improving quality of life,” said Palm Beach County School District K-12 Science Manager Wendy Spielman. 

“The Scripps Florida ‘CELLebrate’ Science day at The Gardens Mall will make the science of biotechnology accessible to our students and the community in a fun, interactive way. It may also open students’ eyes to a variety of career paths and fields of study that they may have never considered before. It will be an outstanding event.”

The district will have its own exhibit as well featuring the winners of the 2012 Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Those students from grades 6-12 will present their own scientific research to the public as a prelude to competing at Florida’s State Science and Engineering Fair in Lakeland in March. 

“I have no doubt that many of these students will one day be working side-by-side with the scientists at Scripps and other scientific institutions,” said district 6-12 Science Program Planner Gregory Goebel.  “It is great to see the positive reaction from the public every year as they are amazed at the outstanding work being done by these middle and high school students that already has real-world applications.”

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