Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Collaborate with Realityworks, Inc. to Expand 'Get Real' Program Technology

    EAU CLAIRE, WI, August 10, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Girls involved with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida's (GSWCF) 'Get Real' program will be working with updated technology and hands-on simulations while learning valuable life skills. Recently they collaborated with Realityworks, Inc., the leader in experiential learning technology, to expand program technology for the RealCare Baby infant simulators to support the program mission.

Get Real is a mentoring program that encourages at-risk girls to make healthy life choices. Mentors are women in the community that want to make an impact in the life of a young girl. The 30-week program aims to increase attendance and decrease suspensions in school. The program also promotes increased reading and writing skills as well as instruction on life skills including sex, drugs and self-esteem.

In addition, Get Real incorporates the RealCare Baby Program. RealCare Baby is a state-of-the-art computerized infant simulator that provides a realistic hands-on experience of caring for a newborn infant. Participants take RealCare Baby home for an entire weekend. Throughout that time they need to change diapers, feed and comfort their infants. The computerized infant simulator monitors all care, records neglected care opportunities and any abuse or mishandling. The RealCare Baby program provides a detailed report of how the participants interacted with the simulator.

"RealCare Baby enriches our program by providing a hands-on experience for a whole weekend while giving these girls a glimpse of parenthood," said Ashley Brown, Program Collaborations Specialist, GSWCF. "The program makes the girls think twice about choices they will make."

Get Real has incorporated RealCare Baby for many years, but recently upgraded to the latest version to obtain the benefits of technology advancements. They also added a RealCare Storage Solutions for housing and charging of their infant simulators.

"We are pleased to partner with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and help them bring experiential learning to their area youth," said Timmothy Boettcher, President of Realityworks. "Incorporating simulation technology into programs engages youth throughout lessons and brings them true-to life experiences. We hope these experiences give them insight to make healthy choices for their futures."

Those interested in more information on the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the Get Real mentoring program, visit www.gswcf.org or call 800-881-4475. For more information on the RealCare program, visit www.realityworks.com or call Realityworks at 800-262-3806.

About Girl Scouts of West Central Florida
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) serves nearly 24,000 girls and 10,000 adult members in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter counties. GSWCF receives funding from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and area United Way agencies. Did you know that more than 53% of all women business owners are Girl Scout alumnae? For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, visit www.gswcf.org or call 800-881-4475.

About Realityworks, Inc.
Realityworks, Inc. is the leader in experiential learning technology - providing life-changing, interactive educational products since 1994. Its award-winning programs provide students with realistic learning experiences, and are used by educators in Career and Technical Education, Family and Consumer Science and Health courses, as well as in other instructional settings worldwide. For more information, visit www.realityworks.com, or call toll free at 1-800-830-1416.

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