A Holistic Brain Training Journey with Schools in Quebec

I'm excited to share our Centre de développement PAC journey and the very encouraging results we've seen with our holistic brain training program in schools across Quebec, especially with the Kanamata High School in Shefferville. Our approach has brought a lot of positive changes, and I believe sharing our story can inspire others to consider similar initiatives.

Kanamata High School: Train Your Brain Challenges

We've formed a partnership with the Innu community of Matimekush Lac-John, leading to our new project aimed at strengthening school perseverance, memory and concentration with Kanamata High School. This school is part of a native community in Northern Quebec, which is remote and can only be reached by train or airplane.

In April, we visited Kanamata High School. The community is small, with about 50 high school students, and we presented the project to all students. Having completed over a hundred NeuroTracker sessions myself, and seeing the difference it can make, helped for making a convincing pitch.

The visit was a key success factor for securing buy-in from the school’s principal and teachers from the outset. We conducted preliminary meetings to explain the benefits of our cognitive training methods, which meant the teachers were enthusiastic and supported the project from the start.

We introduced NeuroTracker training programs within the school’s classrooms, having the same teachers dedicated to specific subjects overseeing the training with each student, so that they could ensure consistency and ease of implementation.

Part of our core approach involved a one-month challenges called "Train Your Brain". We used engaging visuals and offer prizes to motivate the students. To make it even more exciting, we asked the students what prizes they would like. Their suggestions, along with generous sponsorship from Tata Steel Minerals Canada, led us to offer three pairs of iPod Pros and $400 worth of Amazon gift cards.

This incentivized approach significantly boosted motivation and commitment. The community's response to our program has been overwhelmingly positive. The teachers noticed significant improvements in student engagement and focus after introducing our NeuroTracker sessions.

A Truly Engaged School

‘‘...the school actually moved more challenging subjects like math and science to the mornings, so they would be done right after the NeuroTracker training.’’

Over five months, the majority of the students completed four sessions per week, totaling over 400 sessions. The pupils remained highly engaged and we observed remarkable improvements with wonderful feedback. For instance, teachers reported that students were significantly more engaged and calmer in daily lessons, and that they were delighted with the results - a more attentive class makes for more contented teachers!

One key outcome of the program which really stood out, was that administrators actually rearranged the school's lesson schedules. This came about after noticing that the students were much more alert and attentive in classes after their morning NeuroTracker sessions.

For this reason, the school actually moved more challenging subjects like math and science to the mornings, so they would be done right after the NeuroTracker training.  Considering schools like routines and are generally resistant to sudden changes, we believe this was superb validation that the program was making a real difference from both the students' and teachers' perspectives.

Expanding Our Reach

Our success at Kanamata High School, and other native community schools we have had success with, caught the attention of more schools and communities in the region. We are now working on expanding our "Train Your Brain" contests to include interschool competitions. This initiative will start in September and involve multiple schools competing against each other, fostering a sense of community and friendly rivalry.

Alongside this we have been working hard to develop a mobile app that allows students to access their NeuroTracker dashboard and other resources such as meditation practices, stress management techniques and physical exercise routines.

We also provide educational blogs and interactive online learning modules so that participants can grow their understanding the importance of nurturing brain performance and wellness in daily life. Part of the purpose of this is to maintain a presence even when we're not physically there, ensuring continuous support and engagement.

The Importance of Brain Training

People often overlook the importance of cognitive development, assuming that their mental abilities are fixed. However, like any muscle, the brain needs regular exercise to stay sharp. A good example is which a lot of people talk about being important is ‘‘hockey sense’’, which relies on situational awareness and rapid decision-making. These skills are rooted in cognitive processing, not physical skills or prowess, which is how many people perceived them.

Our training program focuses on enhancing sensory perception and cognitive processing speed, which are crucial for overall human performance. Educating people about the benefits of brain training is a key part of our mission.

Future Plans

Starting in September, we will launch our interschool challenge, further expanding our program and ramping up the motivation to be compete with brain power. Once established in this tight-knit community, other schools have quickly express interest, generating a lot of excitement. We've been featured in news pieces by Radio Canada and CBC, which has helped spread the word about our work.

One thing we are keen to focus on is customizing programs to for each school’s needs. We are a small team and do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Accordingly, we tailor our programs to each school's unique challenges and resources, ensuring that our solutions are effective and relevant. Following a crawl, walk, run philosophy we’ve purposely kept our growth has been steady. We are now well into the "walking" phase, steadily progressing towards greater success with a quality over quantity mindset.

While there are always unexpected challenges, such as navigating internal politics, the results have been worth the effort. Once we gain a school's commitment, the engagement is incredible, allowing us to focus on applying our program and demonstrating its effectiveness.

Takeaways

By focusing on engagement, personalized rewards, and community involvement, our brain training program has made a significant difference in the schools we work with. We’ve found that education is key to adopting new technologies and services and getting them to stick. Our NeuroTracker in-class program combined with our holistic brain wellness platform has shown amazing results, and we are confident in its potential.

We hope to continue making a positive impact on students' lives through this unique approach and look forward to seeing even more positive outcomes in the future. Stay tuned for more updates as we expand our reach and help more communities thrive.

Feel free to visit our website or contact us there to learn more.

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