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Empowering Patients Through STEM Activities
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he Shining Star School is one of many ways our compassionate team helps patients maintain a normal routine while at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Our teachers communicate with the child’s school to coordinate assignments and lessons and ensure they do not fall behind while in the Hospital. Often, our teachers will incorporate STEM activities — science, technology, engineering and math — to spark an excitement for learning. “Our job is to bridge educational gaps and provide a different style of teaching. Learning about patients’ interests is one way we can encourage conversation and come up with a STEM activity to expand their interests and motivate them to experience new things,” says Brenda Wilson, one of three Shining Star School teachers. Children can learn to apply STEM concepts in real-life situations by engaging in hands-on experiments and projects. STEM activities are offered bedside or in the classroom, depending on the patient’s treatment plan. Activities are offered for all ages and developmental levels. STEM projects have several benefits for children admitted to the Hospital. Engaging in STEM activities can provide a sense of normalcy and distraction from their medical condition, helping to reduce stress and
Brenda Wilson, Shining Star School teacher, works with a patient to complete her STEM project
anxiety. It can also provide a creative outlet for self-expression and boost self-esteem. Additionally, STEM projects can stimulate cognitive development, problem-solving skills and critical-thinking abilities. These activities can also foster a sense of curiosity and love for learning, which can benefit children’s overall educational journey.
St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund Renews Support
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he Right Start Program at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital was recently awarded a grant from the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF) for the 2023 – 2026 Core Funding Cycle to support uninsured and underinsured patients ages 19 and under who reside in St. Louis County. SSM Health Cardinal Glennon has been a recipient of CSF funding since 2012, improving access to mental health services, including diagnostics, psychiatry services and individual
and family counseling for County youth and families. Services are offered at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, at St. Luke’s Hospital in west county and via telemedicine. The St. Louis County CSF is Missouri’s largest children’s service fund, dedicated to connecting children and families to quality, accessible mental health services and treatment. CSF has invested more than $550 million in nonprofits and other agencies serving St. Louis
County kids since 2010. For more information about the Right Start Program, call 314-577-5667. For an immediate mental or behavioral health need or crisis, please call 988 or the Behavioral Health Response’s Youth Connection Helpline at 844-985-8282.
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