Mobilizing Students to Design and Fabricate PPE
Virtually Maker Faire 2020
May 22nd-23rd
The New York metropolitan has the largest COVID-19 outbreak in America, and medical workers and other first responders face a shortage of personal protective equipment. In an effort to fulfill the school's mission of "making it better," students in grades 5-12 at Dwight-Englewood School have been involved in multiple collaborative efforts to alleviate this problem. High schoolers took home the school's fleet of 3D printers to make filter caps for 3M half-mask respirators for first responders, as well as visors for various types of face shields for medical workers. The students contacted local medical facilities to take orders, which they then filled. A faculty member secured a donation of PET from Riverdale School in order to laser-cut shields to be dropped off to students, who assembled and distributed them. Middle school students used Tinkercad to design innovative ear savers; the most effective designs were mass-produced and donated to hospitals. Some students sewed masks with Nyack mask makers. The robotics teams got involved and connected with an alumnus producing PPE at Cornell; they also connected with students from other schools and inspired them to partake in similar projects. This presentation will include both faculty and student panelists and will guide and inspire you to involve your own students and children in efforts to produce and distribute PPE.
