Brain Builder Events
Brain Building in Education, Townsville (24 June 2025)
Brain Health in Queensland Schools examines opportunities to embed understanding of, and supports for, Brain Health within primary and secondary school in Queensland. Responding to expressed interest across the system, this project espouses principles of co-design and non-replication. It therefore leverages from the significant momentum, learnings, partnerships, and opportunities emerging as part of the Thriving Kids Brain Builders Initiative (TKBBI) in Queensland.
Brain Healthy Schools (BHS), led by Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) sits within the Brain Health in Queensland Schools (BHiQS) strategic initiative with the Mental Health in Primary Schools Queensland pilot led by partners at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne (UoM). BHiQS is also supported by the intermediary expertise of Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP).
Understanding the developmental significance of the school years, the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation (TFFF) funded BHiQS for two years through their Futureproof stream.
The initiative will strategically promote enabling environments for healthy development through the school years. With a clear potential benefit for all young people in Queensland schools, BHiQS will prioritise rural/remote contexts to develop and pilot its three components:
- a rural pilot of the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative (MCRI/UoM)
- Brain Healthy Schools workforce development package for primary and secondary school, teachers and preservice teachers (QBI)
- Brain Healthy Schools tools supporting educators to identify evidence-informed resources and approaches for use with students (QBI)
Together these three elements aim to:
- promote, trial and evaluate whole school wellbeing approaches
- build the education workforce neuro-informed capability and common language to support healthy child development and future mental health
- collate, map and synthesise existing resources and neuro-informed practice
- create curriculum resources where stakeholders say they are needed, to support student learning about brain development.
This combination of processes, resources and knowledge will promote the healthy environments, decision making and relationships critical to healthy brain development.
Brain Building in Education, Brisbane (16 October 2024)
The Thriving Kids Brain Building in Education Event is hosted in collaboration between the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at the University of Queensland, Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP) and ARACY – Every Child Thriving, as part of the Thriving Kids Brain Builders Initiative (TKBBI).
The Thriving Kids Brain Builders Initiative is designed to generate, translate, and apply knowledge from neuroscience and related child, adolescent, and resilience sciences for the benefit of Queensland children, young people, and their families and communities.
This event will focus on the Queensland education context and is aimed at mobilising and connecting initiatives and opportunities to support Queensland teachers and students to thrive. The organisers acknowledge the important role that the education system plays in supporting the brain health of children and young people.
Through this event, we aim to:
- Connect key stakeholders from across the education system in Queensland with a focus on brain health.
- Share information on current resources and approaches for applying neuroscience within education settings.
- Launch the Brain Health in Queensland Schools Initiative, newly funded by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.
- Engage participants in mapping current activities and opportunities for implementing Brain Health in schools in Queensland.
- Invite opportunities for collaborative research, implementation, and curricular development.
Brain Building in Education Event PROGRAM Brain Building in Educaion Event PRESENTATIONS
Brain Builders Summit (30 Aug 2023)
Hosted by Dr Norman Swan, this summit brought together leaders from across the Queensland children and youth systems to connect, catalyse and learn.
The theme was We are all Brain Builders, and the objective was to encourage rich dialogue about “what we should know?” & “what we should do?” to support children and young people in Queensland to thrive.
Keynote speakers | Expert Panel |
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Professor Jeanine Young (AM) Professor Karen Thorpe Professor Zoltan Sarnyai | Dana Newcomb Jessica Rudd Kate Liley Sheryl Batchelor Oliver & Ishika: Youth advocates |
Watch presentations from the summit | ||
| Recording of presentation | Presentation slides | |
| Michael Hogan welcome |
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| Professor Jeanine Young (AM) |
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| Processor Karen Thorpe |
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| Professor Zoltan Sanyai |
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| Michael Hogan close |
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| Full recording of the summit | ||
Brain Builders Implementation Workshop (25 July 2023)
Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP) has engaged the Queensland Brain INstiute (QBI) at the University of Queensland as the knowledge and implementation partner of the Thriving Kids Brain Builders Initiative (TKBBI). This initiative is designed to generate, translate, and apply knowledge from neuroscience and related child, adolescent and resilience sciences for the benefit of Queensland’s children, young people and their families and communities.
On Tuesday 25 July, QBI invited collaborators and stakeholders from across Queensland to join us at the Brain Builders Implementation Strategy Workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to:
- Share information on current practice and initiatives across QLD that are applying neuroscience in workforces, services, and communities.
- Launch Brain Builders e-learning modules and workshop strategies and frameworks for implementation.
- Explore collaboration opportunities for workforce development across QLD.
- Invite organisation to engage in the TKBBI Collaborative