Palm Health Foundation’s Train the Brain Returns with Focus on NeuroArts’ Effect on Human Flourishing

September 14, 2022

This October, Palm Health Foundation’s sixth annual Train the Brain community health campaign returns and serves as a reminder that caring for your brain is just as important as caring for your body. The 2022 campaign, “Celebrating Human Flourishing Through the NeuroArts,” will focus on the convergence between science, the arts, technology and the effects of these experiences on brain, body and overall health. 

 

The NeuroArts represent the convergence between science, the arts and technology. 

 

A former prima ballerina with Alzheimer’s disease listens to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and begins to spontaneously perform from her wheelchair, lifting her arms in synch with the choreography stored deep in her brain. 

 

A young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder uses her artwork to demystify her condition and work through her emotions. 

 

A veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury manages his epilepsy and PTSD by playing the ukulele. 

 

All support scientific study that has proven that artistic experiences – both observational and experiential – measurably change the brain, body, and behavior, leading to improved physical and mental health, disease prevention, enhanced brain development in children, and more. 

 

New this year, Palm Health Foundation, together with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, is promoting a calendar of NeuroArts events. You can find these, and two of the foundation’s keynote Train the Brain events, by visiting https://www.palmhealthfoundation.org/events

 

Train the Brain 2022 Keynote Events:  

The effect of the arts on health and well-being has long been experienced by generations of people and cultures. But now as science and technological advances allow scientists to see and measure the effect of the arts on the brain, the field of NeuroArts is catching fire. 

 

Palm Health Foundation is hosting a NeuroArts Learning Panel and Lunch at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 18, at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience at One Max Planck Way, Jupiter, FL. During this free event, attendees will hear from local scientists, artists and community change leaders on the connection between the arts and brain health. Lunch and a self-guided tour of Max Planck’s “Images of Science” exhibit will follow the panel discussion. 

 

Panelists include Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., Assistant Director, FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and Director of Community Engagement and Programming; Bama Lutes Deal, Ph.D., Cultural Concierge Program Manager for the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County; McLean Bolton, Ph.D., the Research Group Leader in Disorders of Neural Circuit Function at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience; and Kenya Madison, Ed.S., Senior Director for Healthier Delray Beach, a Palm Health Foundation Healthier Together initiative. 

 

Register Now


On Tuesday, October 25 from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Palm Health Foundation, in partnership with Tamarack Institute, Tenacious Change, and EJS Project, will present, “Community Celebration,” a celebration of the arts and Palm Beach County culture during Community Change Experience 2022

 

This celebration takes place during the three-day Community Change Experience conference. The Palm Beach County community is welcome to join for free to mingle with conference attendees from across North America at the Delray Beach Arts Warehouse, 313 NE 3rd St., Delray Beach, FL 33444. Attendees will enjoy free food, live music and a dance performance provided by Digital Vibez, Inc. and other artistic expression provided by local artists. 

Register Now


“We know instinctively as humans that we are wired for the arts, and scientific studies confirm the many health benefits of exposure to artistic enrichment,” said Patrick McNamara, President and CEO of Palm Health Foundation. “Exploring the neuroarts is a natural extension of our brain health advancement work at the foundation. We and our partners are excited to champion the amazing science and cultural assets we have here in Palm Beach County.” 

 

To learn more about Train the Brain, please visit palmhealthfoundation.org/train-the-brain and follow Palm Health Foundation's social media for weekly brain health tips. 


 

About Palm Health Foundation  
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors, and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes, and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $89 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333. 



About Train the Brain  
Train the Brainis one of Palm Health Foundation’s annual community health campaigns and empowers residents to take charge of their brain health. The campaign aims to help Palm Beach County residents understand that taking care of the brain is just as important as taking care of the body. Participants are invited to change their thinking, integrate self-care into their daily routines and show compassion to individuals with acute and persistent mental health conditions. 


January 29, 2025
What if I become ill? What if my loved one does? How will we manage?
January 29, 2025
Let’s Move Encourages at least 30 Minutes of Activity Daily for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health
January 29, 2025
Healthier Glades , a Palm Health Foundation Healthier Together initiative, proudly marked six years of empowering the Glades community through its Mini Grant Program with the recent announcement of four grant awards to recipients in Belle Glade and Canal Point, Florida. Through the Mini Grant Program, Healthier Glades invests in promising programs to promote health, wellness, and youth engagement. The initiative has awarded over $140,000 in mini grants to 52 residents and organizations fostering lasting community impact since 2019. The four innovative grants exemplify Healthier Glades’ ability to unlock community strengths by elevating and investing in the ideas that the community believes hold the most promise to change lives and the narrative around mental health. “The programs highlight the creativity, passion, and dedication of Glades’ community members,” said Annie Ifill, Director, Healthier Glades. Mini grant recipients began program implementation on January 1, 2025. Mini Grant Recipients
January 3, 2025
Mark Twain wrote, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I realized many years ago that the lessons I learn may be for me alone in the moment, but they are not mine to hoard—they are to be shared with others.
December 20, 2024
Hospital conversion foundations are unique and powerful forces in advancing community health. These charitable organizations are born when non-profit hospitals are sold and converted to for-profit entities. A foundation is then established from the proceeds of the sale or “conversion.”
December 2, 2024
Giving Tuesday is About Giving Chances to Someone Like Me.
November 22, 2024
Palm Health Foundation ’s Scholarship Reception on November 2, 2024, brought together nursing and behavioral health scholars with their donors for an inspiring evening at the stunning Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens (ANSG) in West Palm Beach, FL. Over 190 guests attended the event to celebrate 92 scholarship recipients, the largest group of scholars in the history of the foundation due to a generous gift from Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network (SEFBHN). Frances Fisher generously underwrote the reception at ANSG where she serves as chairwoman. ANSG’s natural gardens and monumental sculptures served as the perfect setting for scholars and their donors to meet each other, all expressing gratitude. Guests and donors thanked the scholars for their dedication to the healthcare workforce of South Florida, and scholars thanked donors for their generosity that enabled them to continue their education. “The scholarship recipients here tonight are not only the future of South Florida’s healthcare system, but also the heart and soul of our community,” said Fisher. “I am inspired by their dedication, and I am grateful to our donors who are helping to shape a brighter, healthier future for all.” The $530,000 awarded in needs-based scholarship funds will help address significant shortages in the nursing and behavioral health care workforce. Donor funding will also help humanize health by advancing the careers of healthcare professionals with lived experience and cultural competencies to serve South Florida’s diverse population, a need echoed by Abigail Goodwin, executive vice president of Palm Health Foundation, in her address to scholars. “Your ability to bridge languages and cultures is critical to providing quality care for our dynamic South Florida communities, making our entire region healthier and stronger,” Goodwin said. “You are here today because you’ve demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and a true desire to serve your neighbors. Palm Health Foundation is proud to support, honor, and uplift you as you continue your journey.” Goodwin closed the event by announcing another gratitude opportunity to donors. From December 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, Palm Health Foundation is matching every donation to The Nursing Advancement Fund and all nursing scholarship funds—dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. Palm Health Foundation nursing scholarships support students with financial need in LPN, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs in Palm Beach County. “Through our charitable funds and with the collaboration of donors, residents, and partners, we are building a culture of health for all in our community,” said Dr. Marsha Fishbane, chair of the Palm Health Foundation Board of Trustees. Notable attendees at the event included: Frances Fisher, PHF Trustee and scholarship fund holder; Dr. Marsha Fishbane, Palm Health Foundation chair, and trustees Dr. Naelys Luna, Barbara James, Clovis Moodie, and Nathan Nason; scholarship fund holders Debra Coffman Howe, Ann Berner, Dr. Alina Alonso, Denise Bober, and Carrie Browne and Donald Smith-Browne; and Tim Snow, president of George Snow Scholarship Fund.  To make a gift or create a donor advised fund to support health professions scholars, please contact Carrie Browne, director of stewardship and strategic partnerships, (561) 837-2281, carrieb@phfpbc.org .
November 22, 2024
Palm Health Foundation marked its eighth annual Train the Brain community health campaign during October 2024 with the unveiling of a significant collaborative initiative. On October 24, 2024, over 95 guests gathered at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University for the launch of The Brain Coast: A Vision for South Florida , an aspiration endorsed by six Palm Beach County brain health and science visionaries who believe that shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform a region and change the world. The launch partners included: Palm Health Foundation Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Foundation The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network Many more have committed to advancing this exciting vision with imagination, curiosity, and desire to push the boundaries of brain science and its promise. Guests at the event were eager to learn about the vision for The Brain Coast, which partners compare to President John F. Kennedy's ambitious goals for American space exploration that accelerated Florida's Space Coast. Evening highlights included ambitious initiatives demonstrating The Brain Coast Vision’s promise and the inspirational journeys that led local scientists, including Palm Health Foundation Computational Brain Science and Health Graduate Fellows, to dedicate their lives to advancing treatment for brain disorders as varied as depression, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and more. 
October 7, 2024
Leaders believe shared vision, determination, science, education, collaboration, and investment can transform the South Florida region and change the world.
October 7, 2024
Palm Beach County leaders will guide foundation’s grantmaking initiatives to help residents thrive and reach their full health potential. 
More Posts
Share by: