National DNA Day celebrates the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of the double helix structure by Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Francis Crick in 1953.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is made of two linked strands that resemble a twisted ladder, known as the double helix, that carries genetic information of organisms. The global movement of DNA Day seeks to mobilize, energize and empower communities, educators, and students to innovate, collaborate and discover the promise of our shared humanity and connection to the natural world.

Learn more from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Observed on January 4th in honor of inventor Louis Braille’s birthday (1809), World Braille Day celebrates the importance of accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.

After becoming blind in an early childhood accident, Louis Braille created a tactile reading and writing system that is now known as Braille and used today worldwide.

Learn about the history of Braille

Learn more about World Braille Day

Congenital Heart Disease awareness week occurs annually from February 7th to 14th.

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect and affects millions of children and adults in the U.S..  This week is a time to promote awareness of CHD and raise money for lifesaving research and support for people with the condition.

Visit ConqueringCHD.org to learn more about Congenital Heart Disease and ways to get involved in the fight.

Established by UNESCO in 2015, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science recognizes the critical role women and girls play in science and technology.

Gender equality is a global priority for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), including the support of young girls, their education and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development and peace. This day aims to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.

Learn more!

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers.

EWeek has grown into a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to quality of life.

Learn more about Engineers Week and discover an array of resources from NSPE.

Pi is one of the most well-known mathematical constants that calculates the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

Often approximated with the value 3.14, Pi is an irrational and transcendental number, meaning it has an infinite decimal with no end and no repeating pattern. It has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point and commonly represented by the lower-case Greek letter π.

Learn more from PiDay.org.

Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21, is a naturally occurring condition in which a person is born with an extra chromosome that causes varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability. It is estimated that 1 in every 800 babies is born with Down syndrome.

World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD – March 21 (3/21) – was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (x3) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

Learn more about Down syndrome and find resources for the inclusion of people with Down syndrome

#WorldDownSyndromeDay #EndTheStereotypes

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day was created in 2006 by Reaching for the Stars, an organization run by parents who wanted to bring attention to Cerebral Palsy and the children who live with it.

Cerebral (“of the brain”) Palsy (“lack of muscle control”) is a neurological condition that affects mobility, caused by damage to the fetal brain. It is estimated that a baby is born with Cerebral Palsy every hour and 18 million people worldwide living with the condition.

Learn more about CP from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Celebrated annually on March 30, the birthday of artist Vincent Van Gogh, this worldwide awareness initiative provides a chance to share information and resources that help eliminate the stigma around bipolar disorder and support those living with the condition on their journey to wellness.

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks that is different and more severe from the normal ups and downs that many people go through from time to time. It is estimated that the global prevalence of bipolar disorder is between 1 and 2% and has been said to be as high as 5%.

Learn more from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders.