“On Saturday, June 4, 2016, nine students participated in the first-ever International School of Paris (ISP) Brain Bee, a live question-and-answer neuroscience competition designed to teach high school students about the brain.

Co-organised by ISP and Helen Sahin Connelly, President of Gifted in France, and in collaboration with the American Library in Paris and the American University in Paris, the ISP Brain Bee was one of the first events of its kind in Paris. In part of a larger effort to start an official Brain Bee organisation in France with a local chapter in Paris, this event and its success prove worthy for the development of the program. A special thanks to biology teacher, Mariana Martini for her tireless effort to help bring this event to ISP, for her neuroscience club to help students prepare for the competition and for her enthusiasm in helping Brain Bee efforts in Paris.

The winner, Sabrina Black, earned a trophy and a first place medal; students Alessandro Colosio and Valentina de las Peñas Quelen came in second and third, respectively. Congratulations go out to every student who participated as they all embodied ISP values, IB learner attributes and intelligence at the event!

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Special thanks go to: Dr. Seta Kazandjian, Dr. Asta Georgsdotti, Ms. Karen Frey and Jenny Bateman-Irish for judging the competition; Dr. Julianne McCall, coordinator of the International Brain Bee and German Brain Bee; Amanda Watson, coordinator of the Berlin Brain Bee; and Helen Sahin Connelly for her collaboration with ISP.

Thanks also to Secondary Principal Damian Kerr and Head of School Simon Murray for supporting the collaborative effort as well as Didier Coulaud, Helen Barusta, Richard Vanel, Tuija Wallgren and Raf (security) for their help in organising and logistics.

Students and faculty plan on continuing the event annually and look forward to the next ISP Brain Bee in 2017! ”