Rainbow Academy enhances learning opportunities for Children’s of Mississippi patients
Published on Monday, November 4, 2024
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Photos By: Melanie Thortis/ UMMC Communications
Children’s of Mississippi’s imaging isn’t the only place to see bones. Last week, patients Kameron Snow of Byram and Termondtrez Simmons of Yazoo City created artwork of the bones of their hands, with cotton swabs forming the phalanges and metacarpals.
The activity, a blend of science and art, was part of Rainbow Academy, a new series of lessons for patients created by Children’s of Mississippi hospital school teachers.
Hardy"Every child deserves to feel a sense of joy and normalcy, even in the hospital,” said Kristin Hardy, director of quality and clinical support services. “Rainbow Academy is designed to inspire creativity and resilience, helping our young patients learn together and discover the power of play and connection during their healing journey."
Child life specialists help patients cope with their medical experiences, encourage them during treatment and help them understand their condition. Children’s of Mississippi also includes a hospital school with teachers who help them stay up to date with schoolwork.
Patients who are able can gather in one of the children’s hospital’s activity rooms for the group lesson, which changes by the week.
“So far this school year, we have covered topics that include apples, leaves, the life cycle of pumpkins, spiders and skeletons,” said hospital school teacher Allyn Anderson. “Activities have included science, math, art – you name it.”
Reading is part of the lesson plan, too, said hospital school teacher Bridget Regan.
Win Graham, media production supervisor, readies hospital school teachers Bridget Regan, left, and Haley Ainsworth for a video take.
“When we use a book, we try to work in activities that involve literary elements of the book and comprehension along with some science,” she said. “We also prepare a spectrum of activities for all age groups, from coloring pages for kindergartners, to cut-and-paste activities for older kids, up to more advanced writing activities for older kids.”
The group activities can be a welcome distraction. “This time provides great opportunities for the patients to not only be engaged in academic instruction but get up and out of their beds, spend time with their peers and focus on something other than what may be going on medically,” she said.
Children's of Mississippi patients Kameron Snow, center, of Byram and Termondtrez create images of the bones of their hands with hospital school teachers Allyn Anderson, left, and Lori Henry.
“For most kids, school is a very normal part of their everyday routine,” Anderson said. “Through Rainbow Academy, we get to bring a little bit of the normalcy and familiarity of a classroom environment into the hospital setting, where things may not feel so normal to them. The parents are also excited to see their kids coming back to the rooms with smiling faces and completed activities to show them.”
Since not all patients are well enough to attend in person, the Rainbow Academy team also helped create videos of lessons that are available on MyChart Bedside, an app patients and their families can use on tablets provided in their hospital rooms.
One of the video lessons, from teachers Regan and Haley Ainsworth and Dr. Brad Ingram, chair of neurology, focuses on neurons, which are nerve cells that transmit signals throughout the body.
The teachers shared a few brain-related jokes (A sample: Why can’t a brain be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot) and explained the parts of a neuron while showing patients how to make a model neuron with pipe cleaners forming the cell wall, axon, dendrites and myelin sheath. Pipe cleaner kits will allow children to follow along with the video from their hospital beds.
Children's of Mississippi patient Termondtrez smiles while working on a bone-related art project at Rainbow Academy.
Another video includes hospital school teachers Anderson and Tara Hopkins plus dental hygiene student Malon Stratton giving lessons in dental care, all with the help of a pet elephant named Petunia.
Whether in person or on an app, Rainbow Academy brings easy-to-understand medical information to patients.
“The video lessons offer patients the opportunity to watch engaging lesson content anytime,” said Olivia Ulbrich, a project manager at Children’s of Mississippi. “This provides flexibility and convenience for patients and their families.”
“These lessons also help empower children to gain a better understanding of their health,” she said, “which hopefully makes the hospital experience a little easier.”