Submitted by pressrw on 05/15/2012 8:46AM
The Provincial Government, Viceprefecta Guayas, Luzmila Nicolalde, met last Thursday with representatives of the company BPB Education (Baby Think It Over), dedicated to promoting teaching methods using the latest technology equipment.
Yolanda Melendez, author of the program - BabyThink It Over, made the presentation, revealing the content of the proposed program, as well as the simulators, which are dolls that weigh and look like real babies, resulting in an experience close to reality, highlighting the responsibility of raising a new baby.
On 8 May, at the extraordinary meeting of Trustees of Provincial Governments, which will be held in Guayaquil, the Viceprefecta Nicolalde, in her capacity as President of the organization, will present several projects on these topics, seeking to coordinate a national campaign with all the boards of the country.
http://www.guayas.gob.ec/noticias/viceprefecta-del-guayas-impulsa-prevencion-de-embarazos-en-ninas-y-adolescentes
Submitted by pressrw on 05/11/2012 9:53AM
Did you know that heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle related deaths for children under the age of 14, with at least 33 fatalities reported in 2011 alone? That is a sobering statistic. With the hot summer just around the corner, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced its first-ever national campaign to prevent child heatstroke deaths in cars, urging parents and caregivers to think "Where's baby? Look before you lock."
"This campaign is a call-to-action for parents and families, but also for everyone in every community that cares about the safety of children," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "It is hope that the simple tips from this campaign will save lives and help families avoid unnecessary heartache."
Data from the San Francisco State University Department of Geosciences report 33 children died last year due to heatstroke – medically termed "hyperthermia" – while there were at least 49 deaths in 2010. An unknown number of children are also injured each year due to heatstroke in hot cars, suffering ailments including permanent brain injury, blindness, and the loss of hearing, among others. Often heatstroke deaths and injuries occur after a child gets into an unlocked vehicle to play while unknown to the parent.
Here are some important tips to help prevent this tragedy from occurring:
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on
- Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away
- Ask the childcare provider to call if the child does not show up for care as expected
- Do things that serve as a reminder a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidently left in the vehicle, writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver's view to indicate a child is in the car seat
- Teach children a vehicle is not a play area and store keys out of a child's reach
We are proud to say that the RealCare curriculum has a brand new lesson, Safe and Comfortable Temperatures and Clothing for Infants that teaches this very concept! In this lesson participants learn about hypothermia and hyperthermia, and safety precautions related to exposing infants to extreme temperatures. They hear important information about the dangers of leaving an infant in a car, and an infant’s ability to adapt to environmental conditions. Resources include an interactive slide presentation that simulates the rapid rise of temperature inside a vehicle in the hot sun! Participants learn about how our new RealCare® Baby 3 tracks extreme temperature conditions and clothing changes during the simulation experience. This new lesson content coupled with the enhanced heat sensing technology in Baby will provide a powerful learning experience that could save a life.
For more information, go to:
Information in blog taken from: http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/NHTSA+Unveils+Campaign+to+Prevent+Child+Heatstroke+Deaths+in+Cars
Submitted by pressrw on 04/25/2012 2:42PM
Realityworks, Inc. has announced the release of a new case study, Teen Pregnancy Prevention in an Urban Area: The Milwaukee Project. The study follows a joint project between the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public Schools as they work together to make dramatic drops in teen pregnancies.
Milwaukee’s goal is to drop the teen pregnancy rate by 46% by the year 2015. To reach this goal, the project uses a community-based approach to educate and influence youth. This joint effort of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public Schools has seen the teen pregnancy rate decline for the past three consecutive years.
“We want every kid, regardless of their race and gender and economic status, to have a sound, evidence-based curriculum.”
Nicole Angresano, Vice President of Community Impact at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee
To read more about this project and to download your FREE copy of the case study, visit: http://www.realityworks.com/realcare/casestudies.asp
Submitted by pressrw on 04/17/2012 4:32PM
Darryl Gibbs has one major goal for his foundation, To ensure parents and caregivers are fully informed and educated about the dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and to equip them with tactics to prevent these violent incidents from occurring.
Darryl is the Founder of the Cynthia Gibbs Foundation and a nationally recognized Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Educator. He created the foundation and sought out presentation opportunities after he had a personal experience with this tragic abuse. In 2000 his eight-month old daughter suffered from Shaken Baby Syndrome at the hands of her caregiver. His life was forever changed. |
To read more about his story and hear the steps he has taken to prevent SBS, check out his story here: http://www.realityworks.com/images/UseCase-DarrylGibbs-SBSEducator.pdf
Submitted by pressrw on 04/04/2012 4:25PM
Girls Incorporated of Memphis touches hundreds of lives each year. Their programming is to inspire all girls to become Strong, Smart, and Bold.
Two popular programs focus on preventing adolescent pregnancy and on alcohol and drug prevention. The “Baby Think it Over” one-night retreats with RealCare Baby infant simulators have gotten a lot of attention – both from the community and the press. The girls participate in the retreats through role play scenarios by being assigned an economic situation, a place of employment and a baby, who may or may not have a health condition. It’s each girl’s responsibility to care for the simulator, which cries for attention and requires lifelike care.
To read the full story about the Girls Inc. of Memphis retreats, visit: https://realityworks.sharefile.com/
Submitted by pressrw on 03/28/2012 2:02PM
The RealCare® Baby has some new features that help demonstrate several very important teaching points when it comes to infant care.
New Lesson: Safe and Comfortable Temperatures and Clothing for Infants
While we had a mild winter in the Midwest and across the country, summer is coming. That means high heat and hot cars. How quickly does a car heat up in the hot summer heat, and how hot does a car get? The lesson teaches about hypothermia and hyperthermia, its impact on infants, and the dangers of leaving an infant in a car, or in extreme weather conditions. Did you know that since 1998 there have been over 500 infant/child hyperthermia deaths due to the child being left in a hot car? Of these, more than 50% were due to the fact that the child was forgotten in the backseat by the caregiver. The slide presentation for this lesson has a great video clip that shows, by the minute, how quickly an average car heats up on an 80 degree day. Why is this of interest to you? Well, if you have a RealCare Baby and leave it in a hot car for an extended period of time (or leave it in a very cold car), it will now be able to track that.
How to dress an infant appropriately for environmental conditions (outside and inside) is another topic covered by this lesson. What are comfortable indoor temperatures in winter and summer for an infant? How should an infant be dressed in these conditions? Baby now tracks each article of clothing it has had on over the course of the simulation and for how long. Now the Simulation Report shows you what temperatures Baby was exposed to over the course of the simulation and whether it was wearing appropriate clothing for those temperatures. The lesson also addresses how clothing changes impact an infant’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development.
New Lesson: Positional Plagiocephaly (Flat head Syndrome)
Flat head syndrome has increased 13% since we’ve instituted the “back to sleep” program, which has reduced SIDS by 50%. How do we help parents and caregivers avoid having their infant get flathead syndrome? The lesson, Positional Plagiocephaly (Flat head Syndrome) provides ideas on this; and Baby now tracks the amount of time spent in the car seat/infant carrier over the course of the simulation. This provides some good talking points for why it is important to hold, carry, give tummy time, and basically interact with one’s infant – for many good reasons.
Post submitted by Cindy Fremont, Curriculum Specialist of Realityworks, Inc
Submitted by pressrw on 03/21/2012 9:14AM
The 2012 RealCare Video Contest is in full swing and we are starting to see entries come in! As time winds down for you to enter, we wanted to give you a few ideas that may help you to get your video submitted!
Parent Interviews – ask participants’ parents to share their opinions on the RealCare Baby experience. See what they thought of having a ‘grandchild’ for a weekend!
Classroom Experience – videotape a lesson being taught in class or after school to your participants. This could cover any topic related to the RealCare Products.
Check out this YouTube video of one teacher's classroom lesson:
Student Diaries – have a few of your students make video diaries while they are having their RealCare Baby experience.
Check out this YouTube video from one student's experience:
Remember that entries are due April 16th! For a complete list of rules and submission guidelines visit http://www.realityworks.com/realcare/videocontest.asp
Submitted by pressrw on 03/19/2012 8:59AM
In our continued quest to make RealCare Baby and the Total Parenting Experience as real as possible, our RealCare Baby 3 provides these new benefits:
- Teach Life Skills: Enhanced technology makes Baby more realistic than ever. New detectable clothing with sensors helps teach the importance of changing an infant and dressing appropriately for conditions. Baby now comes with a sleeper, infant bodysuit and outerwear in addition to the two-piece outfit!
- Save Lives: Lifesaving “Ripped from the Headlines” topics are now included on the impact of leaving Baby in a hot or cold vehicle. A new temperature sensing device is embedded in Baby to record Baby’s internal temperature during the simulation experience.
- Ensure Interaction with Baby: Enhanced car seat detection ensures students learn to interact with Baby and not leave them unattended in a carseat too long. Carseats now include a detection sensor. You can also add detection capability to your existing carseats with available kits.
- Enhanced reporting: Temperature sensing, car seat and clothing detection data allow for additional talking points with students. Helpful graphs and charts report this data to instructors.
- Save time: Get new ready-to-use lesson plans on safe and comfortable temp and clothing for infants and preventing Flat Head Syndrome. Receive slideshows and handouts already prepared for use immediately.
- Gain Efficiency – Enhanced Control Center Software is compatible with RealCare Baby 2+ and 3 so you can manage both Babies from the same system.
The greatest benefit of these new features is that participants are now making real parenting decisions as they go through the simulation experience. Any new parent will tell you that it is very realistic to change a baby’s clothing multiple times during the day. Participants need to ensure that Baby is dressed appropriately, changed often and safe from exposure to excessive heat or cold in vehicles or outside.
Submitted by pressrw on 03/14/2012 9:05AM
Parenting is an experience unlike any other. It starts during pregnancy, well before a baby is born. Decisions concerning the wellbeing of the developing infant are ongoing throughout the prenatal phase. And once the bundle of joy arrives, the parenting journey really takes off. The old saying goes, “A baby doesn’t come with a set of instructions.” Well maybe a real baby doesn’t, but ours does! It comes with a comprehensive curriculum that helps participants live the Total Parenting Experience.
Young adults, male OR female, can experience the physical symptoms of the final trimester of pregnancy with the RealCare Pregnancy Profile Simulator. At once, they will feel the impact physically and on their personal lives. The RealCare Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby and Drug-Affected Baby will further show how in-utero decisions can impact the lives and well-being of infants forever.
Our RealCare Baby Simulator delivers the most realistic and powerful parenting experience you can find. The rigors of caring for a newborn infant are lived as participants care for and bond with RealCare Baby. Sleepless nights, frustration with colicky crying, having to change clothing multiple times a day, and ensuring the baby is properly secured in the car seat are all real challenges that new parents face every day. This hands-on parenting bootcamp is the best way for participants to understand and appreciate the skills that new parents must have.
One of the most important skills that new parents must cultivate is patience and understanding. They need to be patient with themselves and with the baby. The RealCare Shaken Baby teaches coping skills and the impact of rough handling on infants. This powerful tool is life changing ensures that participants understand why you should never shake a baby.
Do you know someone who needs the Total Parenting Experience? Once a young adult has taken part in this program, they never forget it. In fact, some former participants who have gone on to become parents themselves have used what they learned here on their own children. That’s powerful. That’s the Total Parenting Experience.
For more information on the Total Parenting Experience, visit: http://www.realityworks.com/realcare/totalparentingexperience.asp
Submitted by pressrw on 03/08/2012 9:20AM
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to facilitate a training session on the RealCare program to a group of teachers in the Bahamas. I received lots of chuckles and “oh sure’s” when I mentioned that I was going to the Bahamas to do a training. Not many people go there for work.
If you’ve ever gone to a tourist location for a work situation, you probably understand that it presents an opportunity to see the other side of paradise. What a contrast from the beautiful resorts that tourists see, to the more day-to-day work life of the residents.
While the surroundings of beautiful Bahamas are amazing, there are some interesting statistics about the teen pregnancy rate there. According to the TRIBUNE (Bahamas largest newspaper) in an article published on Tuesday February 21, 2012:
THE BAHAMAS recorded a significant decrease in births to teen mothers over the last four decades, according to a new report. The Department of Statistics study said births to teenagers have dropped by 14 per cent, per thousand Bahamians.
Good news, right? Read further:
However, the report also shows births to unwed mothers shot up over the same period by 33 per cent. "Births to unwed mothers escalated during the past 40 years, from 29 per cent in 1970, to a high of 62 per cent in 2009. Births to this cohort of mothers remained the largest annual natural increase to the Bahamian population," it said.
According to a recent US research from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy it is the number one reason girls drop out of school (60% of teen moms don’t finish high school), and its costs are both academic and economic. Teen childbearing in the US cost taxpayers (federal, state, and local) at least $10.9 billion. Girls born to teen parents are 33% more likely to become teen parents themselves. Only about two-thirds of children born to teen mothers earn a high school diploma, compared to 81% of children of later child-bearers. While these are US statistics, the Bahamian issues are very similar.
In an effort to counter this trend, the Bahamas Ministry of Education has implemented the RealCare Program in many of its schools. Health education is taught in all years of middle and high school. The recent training session there included 35 middle and high school teachers from the main island as well as many large and small surrounding islands.
The Rotary Club is instrumental in providing this population with the RealCare Babies and accessories that teachers will use along with the new Healthy Choices curriculum, a three- week pregnancy prevention unit of instruction with student materials, a detailed teacher guide and slide presentations.
As you can see, the training session was met with much enthusiasm. What a great group of teachers!
We hope that this program has a profound positive impact on the community, and particularly on the students that receive this valuable experience.
Post submitted by Cindy Fremont, Curriculum Specialist of Realityworks, Inc
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