Science Outreach at Toronto Rehab
Background
TRI works to connect with healthcare professionals like hospital workers, to the general public, and to schools. Science outreach to the general public and to schools are done in partnership with undergraduates from the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus. The job of these students is to create background materials for students and teachers, to create lesson plans that would be used by teachers, and to help conduct virtual visits or physical tours of the facility.
Goal
To inspire broader interest in and enthusiasm for rehabilitation research and development, by educating the public about the work iDAPT has done and is doing.
Initiatives at Toronto Rehab
Students conduct tours for the public and school groups, as well as participate in virtual visits through Skype. They have also presented at conferences, visited a Girl Guide troop, and had an article published in a magazine of the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario.
DEEP Summer Academy – University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
For the last four summers, TRI Home and Community Team students have led summer outreach programs in rehabilitation engineering for outstanding high school students through “DEEP Summer Academy” at the University of Toronto. Participating students have the opportunity to tour the iDAPT research facilities; learn from researchers, former patients, clinicians and entrepreneurs; and design and prototype their own assistive technologies.
Here are some highlights from Ahmed‘s recent DEEP course: “Rebuilding Lives with Rehabilitation Engineering”
Team
Steering committee and program development: Don, Jenny, Grace
Tour and activity leads: Tim, Peter, Aaron, Gary, Carmen, Alana, Dan, Vicki, Ahmed, Alison, Emily, Susan, Tilak, Cesar, Geoff
TRI Home and Community Team