Project Brainy

The Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth (ISRY) - led by Dr. Gil Noam - has partnered with author Dr. Penny Noyce of Tumblehome Books, to develop, deliver, and study STEM curricula to help overcome pandemic-related learning loss. Project Brainy is an out-of-school time curriculum that utilizes the Clover model to engage middle school youth (Grades 6 through 8) in social-emotional development, science learning, and literacy skills while supporting youth mental health.

In this curriculum, middle schoolers will: 

Project Brainy’s out-of-school time (OST) curriculum consists of six 90-minute sessions.

If you have any questions about this project, please email Sabie Marcellus, Project Manager, at srmarcellus@mclean.harvard.edu.

History of Project Brainy

During Project Brainy’s pilot in 2023, the curriculum was implemented in five OST programs in the Boston area. We have come to recognize that learning and thriving requires the following, which are integrated throughout Project Brainy: Engagement, interest, and even passion in relevant topics with strong relationships; hands-on activities and inquiry to enhance youth voice and identity; experimentation for educators in low-stakes environments such as out-of-school programs; integration of academic content and social-emotional competencies; and combination of different disciplines, such as English Language Arts and STEM. In Summer 2024, we expanded our reach nationally to support students and facilitators across 20 sites and counting.