Babysitter Training Course and Home Alone Program Introduced
Belleville, Ontario, June 13, 2013 – Loyalist College is proud to launch Keen Kids Academy, an online safety training portal where pre-teens and teens can learn important life skills in an engaging and entertaining virtual learning environment.
Keen Kids Academy was developed by infiniteSpaces, a division of the College dedicated to the application and creation of interactive virtual educational experiences for in-house projects, as well as external partners in business, education and government. Both the Babysitter Training Course and the Home Alone Program are available through the Academy.
“Through our 3D learning environment, we have created a new babysitter training experience for one of the oldest and most recognized courses in Canada, offered by the Canada Safety Council since 1970,” said Mark Kirkpatrick, Director of Information Technology Services at Loyalist College. “By placing young people in the virtual babysitter role and simulating real-world scenarios, we are engaging them in active learning, ensuring a deeper understanding of the course material.”
Available at an introductory price of $36 including tax, the Babysitter Training Course can be completed at leisure from the comfort and security of home. Topics covered include rights and responsibilities, child development and behavioural problems, caring for a child, nutrition, safety and basic first aid, handling emergencies, and play activities. Students have 90 days to complete the five chapters, including the exercise and test.
The Home Alone Program is designed to provide children with the necessary skills and knowledge to be safe and responsible when home alone for short periods of time. The objective is to help them understand how to prevent problems, handle real-life situations, and keep them safe and constructively occupied.
“Through our infiniteSpaces Virtual World Design Centre, we are providing the Keen Kids Academy learning platform to assist young students in acquiring invaluable life skills, which will benefit their families and communities,” said Loyalist College President, Maureen Piercy. “Our latest Virtual Learning Environment is an example of the innovation and leadership that defines Loyalist as an exceptional College for our students and graduates.”
To register or for more information about the Keen Kids Academy, please visit:
The Canada Safety Council is an independent, knowledge-based, charitable organization dedicated to the cause of safety. It provides national leadership in safety through information, education and collaboration. As a not-for-profit, non-government organization, the Council draws upon the dedication and commitment of its directors, committee members and instructors. Contributions from corporate and individual members enable a small professional staff to maintain programming and respond to inquiries from the public, professionals, the media and others.
infiniteSpaces is a division of Loyalist College dedicated to the application and creation of educational virtual environments for in-house projects, as well as external partners in business, education and government. On November 17th, Loyalist received the 2013 International Learning Resources Network (LERN) Award in Programming for a virtual food process operator simulation, which provides an immersive, experiential learning experience to Loyalist students in the Process Operator – Food Manufacturing Apprenticeship program. Other past projects include work for the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, U.S. Department of State, Indiana University, and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, among others. In 2009, the Canada Border Services Agency piloted Loyalist’s border simulation and realized 39 percent gains in trainees’ performance. In 2010, Loyalist placed second in the Federal Virtual World Challenge competition sponsored by the U.S. Army. infiniteSpaces has also received the Colleges Ontario Innovation Award and ORION Learning Award of Merit for work in virtual worlds. Visit infiniteSpaces at www.infinitespaces.ca.
Loyalist College prepares students for a rewarding career by combining rigorous academic standards with hands-on training from industry experts. Programs range from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and post-graduate studies. Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs and 77 university transfer agreements around the world. A testament to the College’s strength is the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) released on April 17, indicating that 87% of Loyalist College graduates found employment within six months of graduation, compared to the average provincial rate of 83.6% for Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Loyalist is committed to helping students find great jobs, as well as supporting and enhancing the economic and social development of all individuals in its communities.
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Media Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Interim Director of Marketing and Communications, Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536