One of the coolest aspects of the Riley Hospital for Children is the fact that they are not only advocates for the medical needs of the patients but also their education. Riley Hospital for Children has the second-largest school program in the nation, employing eleven licensed educators. Their program is built on a "family-centered approach" meaning they provide educational services for the entire family, not just the patient. By doing this, they are ensuring that everyone involved with Riley has the chance to earn a fair education despite their circumstances. Whether it be enrolling the patient's siblings in nearby IPS schools or administering that hour of instruction to the patient, Riley strives for educational success. They emphasize the importance of "meeting the families where they are" and have an overwhelming amount of compassion for these families and their children. Education is singlehandedly the most important thing that a child can gain throughout their lifetime, and that is not something that Riley takes lightly.
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"Bear in the chair" is a program that Riley Hospital for Children implemented a few years ago in an attempt to ease the struggle patients face by missing school. This program was put in place for Riley patients K-6 who will be missing class for long periods of time due to their hospitalization. After missing class for two weeks or more, the Riley staff will send the bear to the child's classroom. During their absence, the bear sits in the student's chair in order to maintain their connection to the classroom while they are receiving treatments at Riley. The student has the opportunity to individualize their bear by naming it and occasionally facetiming in during class to interact with their classmates and teacher. This program not only helps the child feel like they still have a place in the classroom, it also eases their return to school. This program aims to serve the Riley student but it also aids the other children in their understanding of their classmate's illness and creates a supportive, loving and hopeful environment.
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Dr. Meyer encouraged our class to find a staff member during our site visit that inspired us. Kristen Wikel's is the director of school program at Riley Hospital for Children. Kristen's dedication and passion for the school program at Riley completely blew me away. She has been the source of inspiration for the school program at Riley for years now. What resonated with me most about Kristen's story was her realization that she "couldn't have one foot in both worlds." The entire beginning of her career at Riley, she worked in patient care. This made her transition to an adminsitrative role extremely challenging and made her question her place at Riley. My future as an educator will always be subject to change and no position is guaranteed; I learned from Kristen that I need to take a deep breathe, and jump in with both feet and my whole heart. She has since found her place in her administrative role and has hit the ground running with multiple groundbreaking projects. This idea of perseverance connects me to the COE core value, "the challenge of integrated practice and collaboration." Education comes with a great deal of challenges, but impressive educators, such as Kristen, find a way to overcome. As you can see in the COE core value, great educators are the ones who value integrated practice and collaboration over individual success. Kristen values the education and practices of her fellow staff so much that she gave up one of her biggest passions in order to step into a role that would transform the future of the school program at Riley.
As you can see in the picture to the left, the Riley school program has a great deal of ambitious goals for the 2019-20 school year and with Kristen in charge, the sky is the limit. |