Melville, NY, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sometimes the best escape is bringing your imagination and passions to life. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, and the Shark Research & Conservation Program (SRC) at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, collaboratively hosted an interactive learning experience at the Seacrest Studio located at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida. Patients had the opportunity to dive deeper into the underwater world of sharks for the day through scientific activities, lessons and conversations led by Emily Yeager, a PhD candidate at the Rosenstiel School and SRC team member.
The event was kicked off with an interactive quiz where the patients were able to put their shark and underwater knowledge to the test. This was followed by Emily showing a mock shark workup with props and artifacts including a reeling demonstration and interaction.
“Getting to see how eager and interested the kids were to discuss and learn about sharks is something I will never forget,” said Emily Yeager. “Having the opportunity to share a glimpse into my career working in the underwater world with these children who share this passion filled me with joy.”
The interactive media studio, created to help patients find joy during treatment in pediatric hospitals, was turned into a science classroom for the day to bring the full experience to life for the children. With the help of Seacrest Studios staff using Canon equipment, special moments were captured and saved to hold as a memory. Patients even had the opportunity to get behind the camera using the Canon PowerShot V10 to secure their ideal memories from the day.
“We are deeply grateful for our ongoing sponsorship of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation,” said Sammy Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Watching such bright and talented children explore their creativity is truly inspiring. We are honored to provide the technology that helps these young patients unlock their creativity and share their unique stories.”
“Since the opening of our Seacrest Studio in Miami, we have been able to establish new collaborations in the South Florida community,” said Jenny Oquendo, Senior Manager of Children & Family Experience at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “We are so grateful for the unique opportunity created by Canon and our long-time friends at the University of Miami. We witnessed such excitement and engagement from the patients who were able to meet and learn from a real-life shark expert. We look forward to continuing to work with University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School Shark Research & Conservation Program to bring experiences like these to children in our care, who need it most.”
The visit concluded with a shark themed photo book giveaway printed by Canon on the varioPRINT iX3200 press. Moments like these remind us that imagination, passion and a supportive community can brighten any day. At Canon, alongside the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, we are proud to create moments of comfort, connection and happiness for every child and family we meet.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $29.5 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc., as of 2025 has ranked in the top-10 for U.S. patents granted for 42 consecutive yearsFootnote1. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit www.usa.canon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/canonusa.
About the Ryan Seacrest Foundation
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a nonprofit organization that brings interactive media studios into pediatric hospitals to help patients find joy during treatment. Founded in 2009, RSF has grown into a national network of 14 Seacrest Studios where patients host podcasts, produce video content, and interview celebrity guests while receiving care.
In 2025, RSF delivered 8,406 hours of live programming and helped patients create 265 original shows, reaching approximately 3.1 million patients and family members. Viewed by hospital partners as a core therapeutic tool, Seacrest Studios play a meaningful role in helping children cope with hospitalization and extended medical care. Through its internship program, RSF also supports almost 50 interns a year, providing students with hands-on experience in broadcast production and empowering the next generation of industry professionals.
RSF currently has Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Miami, Memphis, Orange County, Orlando, Queens (NY), Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. Visit ryanseacrestfoundation.org for more information. New studios are slated to open in New Orleans at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in early 2027 and in Milwaukee at Children’s Wisconsin in 2028.
About Nicklaus Children’s Health System – Where Your Child Matters Most ™
For more than 75 years, Nicklaus Children’s Health System has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. Nicklaus Children’s provides pediatric care across a growing network of hospital and community-based partnerships, including within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center, select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units, as well as at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Fort Lauderdale and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Coral Springs, each located on the campuses of Broward Health. The hospitals and their network of more than 35 outpatient locations offer lifesaving care in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Outpatient locations include an array of urgent, pediatric primary and specialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children’s is an academic and clinical affiliate of the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, the Neuroscience Institute and the Heart Institute. The 474-bed system is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children’s also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with more than 40 pediatric specialties and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org.
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- Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- Emily Yeager, a PhD candidate at the Rosenstiel School and SRC team member ready to start her demonstration
- Seacrest Studios at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital kicking off the event