Your class must participate on one of the scheduled program dates on Wednesdays between September 9, 2020 and June 9, 2021 (except 12/23 and 12/30) from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Central (the length of the surgery). Your students and participants will need to connect individually and for the entire session.

Groups may connect via Zoom from a classroom with video-conferencing equipment. These groups do not have student limits as they will be using only one Zoom connection. Teachers will need to enter student questions into the Q&A of the webinar.

Live from the Heart is $250. A 30 percent non-refundable deposit must be received two weeks prior to the start of your program quarter as follows:

• Fall programs (September - November): Deposit due by September 9, 2020
• Winter programs (December - February): Deposit due by November 11, 2020
• Spring programs (March - June): Deposit due by February 17, 2021

If you do not submit your deposit in time, your session will be given to another group. You will receive an email reminder about the deposit policy two weeks before your deposit is due. Final full payment is due two weeks before your scheduled session. If you do not pay in full on time, your session will be given to another group and you will forfeit your deposit. 

If you call to reschedule prior to the start of your program quarter, you will be moved to an available spot or put on the waiting list if no spots are available. If the rescheduled session is in the current program quarter, the 30 percent deposit is due immediately, with the remainder due two weeks prior to your session. Groups that reschedule also will be charged a $10 rescheduling fee.

If you call to reschedule during your program quarter up to two weeks before your session and we are unable to move you to an available spot, you will be placed on the waiting list and forfeit your 30 percent non-refundable deposit. You may not reschedule less than two weeks before your session.

If you must cancel, you will forfeit all fees that have been paid. Groups that do not call to cancel and do not show up for their session will forfeit all fees paid and will not be allowed to register for Live from the Heart for one year.

We offer a Live from the Heart classroom kit with a non-live version of the program that enables teachers to facilitate the program on their own in their classrooms. The kit includes a Teacher Guide with lesson plans, DVD of an open heart surgery, and a Facilitators Guide. The classroom kit is $325 and additional student journals are $1.50 each.

• Order a classroom kit (PDF)

The surgical team at Advocate Christ Medical Center has determined that it is safe to broadcast the open-heart surgery. The dedicated team of professionals at Advocate would never put a patient's health at risk.

Yes, the patient knows that his or her surgery will be broadcast. Each patient discussed Live from the Heart with the surgical team at Advocate before agreeing to participate in the program.

We don't expect any problems, but the surgical team is prepared to disconnect the live feed if something does go wrong. In that case, the Museum educators will present a different version of Live from the Heart, which we know you will enjoy.

We expect teachers to take an active role during Live from the Heart. We would like teachers to assist Museum educators with the hands-on activities, distribute materials, handle discipline issues and the like.

Our research has led us to expect few – if any – such incidences. If, for some reason, a student does feel sick, a chaperone will guide him or her to a nearby bathroom. We will provide the student with water and soothing mints, and if he or she cannot continue watching the program, we are prepared with alternative, related activities.

The field trip is arranged through the school, so parents will have to discuss chaperone rules and regulations with the teacher.