A (Virtual) Field Trip Into the Heart

Did you know that the human heart beats more than 100,000 times each day? Or that your hydration can impact its performance?

If you’ve ever been curious about how this body engine works, join us for our Future Well Kids Love Your Heart virtual field trip. Together with Discovery Education and hosted by our high school STEM interns, Kaliah and Allison, we recently opened our doors to invite kids and families on a journey to understand the structure and function of the heart.

Kaliah and Allison met with Abbott scientists and doctors who explained how our hearts are similar to a house – with rooms (chambers), doors (valves), hallways (arteries), plumbing and even electricity. They also explored the importance of water and signs of dehydration, and also learned about the vital role that nutritious food choices and physical activity play in heart health.

During the field trip, Allison and Abbott Pediatric Medical Director Dr. Karyn Wulf also met with special guest and three-time U.S. Olympian Lolo Jones – who shared some simple actions you can take to keep your heart healthy and strong.

No matter where you are, you too can join Kaliah, Allison and Lolo Jones on this virtual field trip – it's available for viewing on-demand at any time here.

To help bring this experience to life, we also partnered with Discovery Education to create a guide that's tailored for educators, but also helpful for parents – with additional activities, learning extensions and topics for kids to explore the human heart.

Inspiring kids to start healthy habits today

Healthy habits can last a lifetime, especially when they’re established early on. That's why we created this virtual field trip as part of our Future Well Kids program – which helps teach kids ages 10-13 about chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and inspires them to take charge of their own health by making smart choices today.

The Future Well Kids program includes both in-classroom activities for students, and online activities for families to get healthy together.

Powered by Abbott employee volunteers and with the support of the Abbott Fund, our in-class Future Well Kids program partners with schools in under-resourced communities that often face a greater burden of chronic disease. Through engaging curriculum and events in schools in Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, the UK and the U.S., Abbott volunteers and teachers work together to help educate kids about healthy habits that could help them live long, full lives.

And to reach kids and families everywhere, the FutureWellKids.com site offers a series of digital activities that kids can complete on their own, or families can complete together. Activities highlight the importance of nutrition and physical fitness, and are available for easy viewing on-screen or can be downloaded for use offline.

"Middle school is a critical time as students are becoming more independent and making their own choices about food and physical activity," said Molly Shaefer, Principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Waukegan, Illinois. "The Future Well Kids program brings forward practical, hands-on ideas that students can use to begin establishing good habits and patterns now, which will set them up for a happy, healthy future."

Visit our Future Well Kids site to access our full library of ready-to-use family activities and standards-aligned classroom modules to help kids adopt healthy habits now to live healthier, fuller lives. As families use the materials, it won't just be the kids who benefit – the whole family will learn to live healthy.