Jump Simulation Launches One-of-a-Kind Activity Book
PNC contribution expands education for patients at Children's Hospital of Illinois
The OSF HealthCare Foundation announced the release today of a 22-page coloring-activity book that will likely change the course of coloring books for years to come. The book was made possible because of a $400,000 grant from PNC Foundation to expand successful Jump STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) program to students who are also patients at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois (CHOI).
The activity book is geared for children four to nine years old. It is the result of a collaboration between the Medical Visualization (MedVis) team at Jump Simulation, a part of OSF Innovation and five Jump college engineering interns who last summer worked to design and deploy a 3D-printed object, and a hands-on kit that will be brought to children’s bedsides at CHOI.
Video and Animation Designer John Farmer says the interactive book focuses on the anatomy including vital organs and the immune system. A free smart phone app called “About Me 3D,” available on Apple and Android phones, allows an immersive and engaging experience. The book was created using advanced applications in video, animation, 3D imaging, 360 degree environments, medical illustration, virtual and augmented reality, instructional, graphic and mobile app design, along with bioengineering.
For example, when kids place their phone over items in the book, it triggers experiences. On one page, a 3D heart that kids can color also pops out and rotates. On another, the app triggers a video about digestion. One of the likely most popular interactive features allows kids to play a game to shoot down harmful germs and other body invaders.
“Our Medical Visualization team stepped up in partnership with PNC’s vision for addressing the needs of children through STEAM education, leveraging brilliant technologies in service to ill and injured children.”
“The dramatic and joyful reactions from the children who have encountered the augmented reality activity book are their own reward, and this project is massively rewarding”, declared John Vozenilek, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Jump Simulation. He added, “Our Medical Visualization team stepped up in partnership with PNC’s vision for addressing the needs of children through STEAM education, leveraging brilliant technologies in service to ill and injured children.”
PNC Making a Difference
“We know how important it is to introduce young minds as early as possible to math, science and the arts,” said Brian Ray, PNC regional president for central Illinois. “However, for the brave children and teens who face extended hospital stays, their access to classroom learning and experiences can be interrupted. This program brings the learning to them so they can continue on their path as future engineers, scientists, physicians or whatever creative path they choose.”
Please see the downloadable video (on left-hand navigation) that shows the interactive features of the activity book.
For more information about this project, contact Director of Jump Simulation Operations Noel Adams or call (309) 308-9528.
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $350 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States. With a retail branch network that stretches across 19 states and the District of Columbia; and strategic international offices in Canada, China, Germany and the U.K., PNC is organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking, including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria is the third largest pediatric hospital in Illinois and the only full service tertiary hospital for kids downstate. With 136 beds and more than 141 pediatric subspecialists, Children's Hospital cares for more children in Illinois than any hospital outside of Chicago. Formally established as a pediatric hospital within the walls of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in 1990, Children's Hospital has over 7,000 admissions; 2,500 newborn deliveries, and 18,000 emergency department visits each year. More at www.childrenshospitalofillinois.org
Jump Simulation, part of OSF Innovation, is a collaboration with OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria. The center is one of the largest of its kind and provides space for conferences, anatomic training, virtual reality, and innovation. For more information, visit www.jumpsimulation.org.