Whether it’s with a paintbrush, or help from a mouse, pediatric patients at Providence Memorial Hospital are creating art and developing their self esteem. With help from a grant from Walt Disney, Creative Kids has established an in-house computer art lab at Providence Memorial Hospital. Project Hi-Tek (Health Integrating Technology Education and Kids) is teaching patients how to create music, and art through technology.

Armed with four G-5 Macs that are equipped with various programs to help children create their own music CDs, t-shirts and websites, the program aims at giving children a valuable resource to learn more about themselves and others. Many patients can spend up to a month at the hospital while seeking treatment. With the help of this program, they can reach out to others facing the same challenges through their website. Two laptop computers are also available for those patients who are unable to leave their room but wish to participate with others.

The program was launched at Providence specially to help patients ranging from 6 to 18 years old, by introducing them to techonology and helping them connect with a world they may not have access to because of frequent hospitalization. This was done to develop their talent and fuel their creativity in ways that may not have been available to them before.

"In this environment, we need to provide different educational experiences that are more accessible and creative to show our patients what they can do," says Kim Hall, administrative director for pediatric services. " We try to meet their creative needs by providing an outlet and this new lab is another tool to do so."