{"id":15800,"date":"2019-03-05T20:26:01","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T20:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=15800&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-11-20T20:27:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T20:27:13","slug":"ucf-partners-nemours-pedsacademy","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/ucf-partners-nemours-pedsacademy\/","title":{"rendered":"Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Partners with Nemours for PedsAcademy"},"content":{"rendered":"
Spring 2019 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer\u00a0\u2019<\/span>17<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Medical advances are increasing the chances for children to overcome chronic illnesses. But many children who survive end up significantly behind their peers in education and career potential, as hospitals lack the teaching staff and resources to provide each child with meaningful and effective instruction. To address this issue, more than 50 Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ student-teachers and faculty have partnered with healthcare professionals<\/a> to create Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½\u2019s PedsAcademy [pronounced \u201cpeeds,\u201d after pediatrics] at Nemours Children\u2019s Hospital in Lake Nona.<\/p>\n Since the program\u2019s launch in August<\/a>, these educators have been providing tailored instruction,\u00a0both academic and medical. These lessons allow young patients to take a break from being strictly a patient and become immersed in learning through virtual reality<\/a>, robotics, 3D printers and other high-tech learning tools. And PedsAcademy is the world\u2019s first pediatric school program that uses curriculum specifically tailored to a child\u2019s disease. Teaching methods and lessons are based on research into cognitive development and the effects of specific diseases on learning, so patients are taught using learning tools conducive to their physical limitations\u00a0and sensory conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cOur purpose is to provide a rich, meaningful, educational experience so [kids with chronic illnesses] aren\u2019t just keeping pace with their healthy, typically developing peers, but that they\u2019re actually getting extraordinary educational opportunities while in the hospital,\u201d says Megan Nickels<\/a>, the PedsAcademy faculty director and a Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ assistant professor of STEM education.<\/p>\n On an average day, up to 60 PedsAcademy children receive at least three hours of instruction. The program doesn\u2019t just benefit children receiving care at Nemours \u2014 siblings of patients can take advantage of the educational services too.<\/p>\n [divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n [slideshow slug=”ucf-partners-nemours-pedsacademy”][\/slideshow]<\/p>\n