Pan Am Games using virtual reality to connect students with athletes

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By Tara Deschamps

As part of the I Can Learn program, wheelchair basketball athlete Robert “Bo” Hedges used a video conference to show off the muscle power he uses to move his chair.

Ethan Khan, 12, spends his nights charging across an ice rink, making quick stops and using muscle power to shoot pucks to his teammates. 

For the select hockey player, the training is mostly about becoming a better athlete and having fun. But as he learned Wednesday through a new Pan Am/Parapan Am Games education program to be rolled out across the province, it’s also about form, function, speed and power — essentially science. 

As part of the I Can Learn program developed by technology giant Cisco Canada, Ontario teachers have the option to connect their students to athletes through virtual field trips, videos and workbooks. The idea is to bring science and the Games to life, said Cisco spokeswoman Karin Scott, by teaching how class lessons apply to competitive sport.

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