Concussions can be life-changing. 

An injury impacting the head and mind, concussions effect people in different ways and everyone's recovery varies. 

For Okanagan College (OC) professor Colin Wallace, he knows from experience and is now doing something about it, as he wants to get students get back to the classroom in the best and healthiest way they can after recovering from the dreaded head injury.

Wallace, while pursuing his research degree, suffered a concussion and faced challenges in his recovery to get back in the classroom. Those challenges included intense fatigue and difficulty concentrating, and the experience changed his perspective a concussions and recovery.

Now an educator in OC's Department of Kinesiology, Wallace has been helping students through their journeys in recovery from concussions and mid-traumatic brain injuries. Because of this and his own experience, the Wallace has created and launched "a groundbreaking research project" aimed at student's learning after suffering a head injury.

鈥淎s a professor, I鈥檝e seen how concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries impact a student鈥檚 ability to engage with their academics,鈥� Wallace says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating for students because they want to participate, but the nagging symptoms can often hold them back.鈥�

The initiative is focused on developing return-to-learn plans with personal accommodations for students as they recovery from a head injury. Wallace has received support for the project from OC, Braintrust Canada (a Kelowna-based non-profit specializing in brain injury prevention), a Mobilize Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

鈥淐oncussions and mild traumatic brain injuries can severely disrupt a student鈥檚 ability to engage in their studies,鈥� added Wallace. 鈥淥ur goal is to create a program that adapts to the unique needs of each student, ensuring they have equitable opportunities to succeed in their academic journey.鈥�

Right now, research on returning to the classroom following a concussion is sparse and often based on the return-to-sport strategies. During his research, Wallace will be working with students who are working through concussions.

"Feedback from students is absolutely essential,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淭hey are the ones who have lived through the experience of recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury while managing coursework. Their input will help ensure that the program we develop will be both practical and effective."

Crystal Krickemeyer, a third-year OC kinesiology student is a research assistant on the project, as she lives with a permanent disability and has spent years trying to navigate between her health and academic life.

鈥淚鈥檝e been there,鈥� said Krickemeyer. 鈥淛uggling studies while your health is compromised is tough, and students with concussions deserve the right resources to help them recover without falling behind.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 learning so much by being part of this research,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 get to apply my knowledge in a real-world setting, which makes my education at OC so much more valuable.鈥�

For BrainTrust Canada, the partnership was an easy match to make.

鈥淏rain injury can affect every aspect of someone鈥檚 life鈥攁cademics, social life, employment. That鈥檚 why we offer such a wide range of services,鈥� said BrainTrust's executive director Amanda McFarlane. 鈥淥ur work with Okanagan College is a natural extension of our commitment to helping people reclaim their lives after a brain injury.鈥�

The project is one of many applied research initiatives taking place at OC.