WHAT:  "Penn Kids Judge! Fair," where kids will actually judge the projects of Penn undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate science students.  

WHO: Some 140 schoolchildren from the Penn Alexander and Lea schools in West Philadelphia

WHERE:  Penn School of Medicine

WHEN:   9 a.m., Friday, March 26; the best interaction between the school students and the college students will most likely be after 10 a.m.

Sponsored as part of its 50th anniversary by Penn's Mahoney Institute of Neurological Sciences, a hub for brain-science research and education at the University, the event is designed to make scientists better communicators and to interest elementary school students in science.

The student judges will gather with clipboards in hand to evaluate activities and exhibits on the brain and nervous-system function that were developed by Penn undergrads with the guidance of grad students and faculty at the Mahoney Institute.  Through written evaluations, comments and behavior, the schoolchildren will help the competitors understand what works and what doesn't and will award prizes to the best activities.

As many as six Penn students will then present their work at the 2004 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, the world's largest professional organization for brain researchers.