FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute’s MobileMinds Wins Education Prize

Florida Atlantic University’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (SNBI) is celebrating a recent win at Palm Beach Illustrated’s 2026 Education Awards.

SNBI’s MobileMinds program took home this year’s Innovation Award in recognition of the program’s leadership in cutting-edge, tech-forward initiatives that enhance student success in STEM learning. The awards are determined by nominations and votes from Palm Beach Illustrated readers, which demonstrates the real impact of the program on our local community.

From high-tech microscopes to dissection equipment to virtual-reality headsets and more, MobileMinds brings a full neuroscience toolkit directly to students in a brightly wrapped “brain van.” Lessons are designed and taught by professional neuroscientists and trainees with the goals of making scientific inquiry fun and accessible while also sparking an interest in STEM-related careers.

South Florida’s first mobile neuroscience education program, MobileMinds was launched in 2018 as part of SNBI’s ASCEND initiative (Advancing STEM–Community Engagement through Neuroscience Discovery). Since its inception, the program has reached more than 27,000 students across 40+ Title I schools. Over the years, MobileMinds expanded its scope to include attendance at large community events, making the total reach in excess of 56,000 people—and more than 60,000 across the broader ASCEND initiative.

Through MobileMinds and the greater ASCEND initiative, SNBI is creating a blueprint for meaningful public engagement with neuroscience – and helping to ensure that every child knows that becoming a scientist is within their reach.

MobileMinds’ success has been supported by Palm Health Foundation, the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation, the Community Foundation of Broward, the Per and Astrid Heidenreich Family Foundation, Impact of the Palm Beaches, Alice and Don Hudson, and Lisa LaFrance.