ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

The Brain Exercise Initiative is a student-run 501(c)(3) organization that uses simple math, writing, and reading exercises as an intervention to improve cognitive function in those with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. The University of Washington is one of over 80 universities—including Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, Columbia, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, and Notre Dame—with a participating chapter.

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Curious how the Brain Exercise Initiative works? Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima concluded through research that mentally-stimulating brain exercises activate the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for controlling memory, cognition, and planning. Routinely engaging in cognitive flexibility activities serves as a form of preventative memory care; additionally, it can help individuals with neurological disease improve their communication and cognitive abilities. 

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Our volunteers are empathetic leaders with multidisciplinary experience spanning healthcare, biological sciences, ethics, engineering, public policy, the arts, and humanities. We work with partnering senior homes in the Seattle area to conduct volunteer sessions that foster intergenerational relationships and mitigate neurodegenerative decline.