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TD Provides Woods Grant to Further “Gamifying” for Learning

The TD Charitable Foundation has awarded a grant of $10,000 to support Woods’ efforts to incorporate new approaches that use technology to meet the needs of students with severe behavioral and emotional disorders.

 

This grant will help make it possible to develop customized video modules or “gamification” to teach social and behavioral expectations.  The gamification of learning is an innovative, educational approach to motivate students to learn by using video game design and elements.  The goal is to maximize engagement through capturing the interest of learners and inspire them to continue to learn.  New vocational curricula will focus on STEAM areas such as desktop publishing, computer game design and fashion design.  The new modules will have the potential to be replicated in many school settings across the country, to the benefit of some of the most vulnerable students with special needs.

About the TD Charitable Foundation

 

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $243 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/

Powering Ideas: The Ivan Project

One of Ivan Loesch’s favorite things to do on a nice day is to ride from his residence at Beechwood NeuroRehab into Langhorne Borough. He will often stop to chat with friends along the way as he pops into the Tiger Mart, Luk-Oil gas station, and Dollar General. Thanks to Ivan’s research and ingenuity and help from Woods’ Maintenance Department, those trips into town are now being made in an electric wheelchair that is run on solar-powered batteries.

 

“I first got the idea from Super Storm Sandy, which was a major influence for this project. We were without power for about a week and I knew from my research that solar power does not go down during weather anomalies,” said Ivan.

 

Ivan has always been an idea man so once he got the notion in his head to make his wheelchair solar-powered, there was no stopping him. He devoted himself to researching and learning everything he could about solar energy before diving into what is now known as “The Ivan Project”.

 

After reading numerous articles and guides on solar power, Ivan reached out to Tyler Doan, Mechanical Lead in the Woods’ Maintenance Department, for assistance. Tyler then enlisted the help of other department members, including electrician Frank Britsch and HVAC technician Tony Daniels. Despite the research, preparation and technical expertise of those working on the project, solar energy wasn’t exactly in Frank and Tony’s wheelhouse.

 

“We hooked everything up and everything was working and we come back the next day and the battery is drained and his wheelchair is not charged,” said Tony, who has worked at Woods for three years. “We thought the manual was really going to tell us everything we needed but it didn’t.”

 

Though the project required some additional research and ended up taking longer than expected, the group did not give up and the system is now up and running. Ivan has a routine that he follows each day in order to ensure that his arsenal of batteries stay charged so he is able to make his trips into Langhorne Borough and joyride around the Beechwood NeuroRehab grounds. Ivan is very thankful to Frank and Tony for their willingness to participate in his project and bring his vision to life, but he says he’s just getting started with his solar power plans.

 

“I would like to expand my solar apparatus. It would be great to power a tower at Woods. I know it’s a big undertaking but I think it could be feasible,” said Ivan, who will turn 40 in June and celebrate 20 years at Beechwood in July. “I want to do the tower because I think it could be symbolic, like a monument or a legacy.”

 

Beechwood NeuroRehab Executive Director, Dr. Drew Nagele, served as the mediator for “The Ivan Project” and set all of the necessary wheels into motion after hearing about the idea from Ivan himself.

 

“Ivan’s determination to explore and experiment with alternative energies has now paid off,” said Nagele. “I’m extremely proud of Ivan’s accomplishment of creating a solar-powered wheelchair.

 

As for Frank and Tony, though “The Ivan Project” was frustrating at times, the pair was happy to help Ivan’s dream become a reality.

 

“I happened to be in Beechwood Manor when he was talking to Drew (Nagele) and I heard him telling people that he loved it and that he would like to do more stuff with (solar energy),” said Frank. “Anytime you see our individuals and you know they are happy because of something you did, it’s rewarding.”

 

 

So how does it work?

 

The solar panels are on a 45-degree angle in the back of (Ivan’s residence) facing Southwest, where we can get the most sunlight. There are two wires on the back that absorb and transfer the energy into the basement. Once in the basement it goes to a control panel, from the control panel it goes to a battery. The battery absorbs the electricity from the solar panel. From the battery it goes to an inverter. The inverter changes the power from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), which is then fed into a receptacle that is connected to a wire that goes through the basement up a half-wall that is connected to the other end of an outlet, which is where Ivan plugs his battery in for his wheelchair.

 

Video version of Powering Ideas: The Ivan Project

 

Sounds of Excellence: A Sensory Friendly Concert

On Saturday, March 28th Woods and the Conservatory co-sponsored “Sounds of Excellence” a sensory friendly concert at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. The concert was held in honor of Stephen Francisco, a longtime Woods resident with a love of music!

 

About 300 music lovers joined us for the 45 minute show featuring musicians and vocalists. Because the show was “sensory friendly” concert goers were allowed to get up and dance, shout, sing-a-long or whatever else they were moved to do! Some individuals “listened” to the music by standing in front of the stage with their hands feeling the vibrations on the stage floor, others clapped along and got the whole audience involved, and others wore ear plugs to soften the sound while they gently rocked. It was a sight to behold! Perhaps the most powerful moment of the show was when one vocalist performed “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” She introduced it as one of Stephen’s favorite songs and it really moved the audience!

 

Stephen’s family provided a gift to Woods that provides music instruction and entertainment to individuals in our adult program. In addition to the gift from the Francisco family, The Consrvatory  received a grant from Foundations Community Partnership that is used to provide music classes to Woods residents 21 and under.

 

According to the American MusicTherapy Association, Music therapy interventions focus on enhancing social, communicative, motor/sensory, emotional, and academic/cognitive functioning, or music skills in individuals with ASD. Music Therapists from the Conservatory visit Woods twice a week to provide various music instruction. Students who weren’t able to participate in regular music instruction before, are now able to participate in weekly sessions and are loving it! In addition to the therapy sessions, Woods residents travel to Doylestown once a month for a 45 minute recital.