LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas became the first state in the nation to provide virtual reality-based concussion education to every public junior high and high school in the state.

During Computer Science Education Week in December 2018, the Arkansas Department of Education announced the statewide launch of CrashCourse, a video education tool that highlights the signs and symptoms of concussions, as well as the long-term effects. The goal is to educate students, primarily student athletes, of the effects, so they’ll better identify the symptoms and quickly receive proper medical care. Today’s announcement, which was held at Bryant High School, focused on the new virtual reality component. On hand at the announcement were high school football and soccer players who were the first student teams in the nation to experience the virtual reality version.

“We are proud to kick off this school year with interactive concussion education for all students,” Gov.Asa Hutchinson said. “The Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Health, and Arkansas Activities Association saw the need to better educate our students, particularly our athletes,of the potentially life-threatening effects of concussions. By partnering with TeachAids, Arkansas students now have access to state-of-the-art software and equipment that mimic the real-life effects of concussions. Together, we are empowering our students to know the signs and symptoms and quickly make decisions that lead to better treatment and improved health.”        MORE