蜜桃影视

This article is one in a series at 蜜桃影视 that profiles the heroes, victories, success stories and random acts of kindness found at schools all across America. Read more of our recent inspiring profiles at The74Million.org/series/inspiring.

If there is any job that requires problem-solving and creativity, it鈥檚 teaching. So when the shortage of protective masks for health care workers surfaced, teachers far and wide set out to find a solution.

Middle school science and social studies teacher Emily Frawley read about a doctor who was using a 3D printer to make masks, and a light bulb went off. She knew she had the skills to do that, so she asked officials at her school, The Windward School in White Plains, New York, if she could use the school鈥檚 Makerbot 3D printers to help out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_FYAT4ldRg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

鈥淸We can] think to ourselves, 鈥榃hat skills do I have that could contribute to a solution, and what resources do I have around me that can help?鈥� and then tinker around with the ideas that pop into our heads,鈥� Frawley said in a story on . 鈥淚nstead of convincing ourselves they鈥檙e too ambitious, or that they wouldn鈥檛 make an impact, we鈥檇 be shocked what we come up with.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10216498250233644&set=a.1237432460810&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/emily.frawley2/posts/10216424666434095

Frawley found a design for an N95-style mask that worked with the school鈥檚 printers. She put out a call on social media and received donations of the materials needed to make the mask, including medical-grade filter fabric. The hardest element to find was plain old elastic, but she finally was able to secure 200 yards of that.

Now, Frawley can print up to 12 masks a day.

She鈥檚 not the only one.

Jeff Motz and Rob Robison, industrial tech teachers in Iowa鈥檚 Johnston Community School District, set up the district鈥檚 3D printers in their garages and stay busy printing all night, making parts of face shields that can be donated to the area鈥檚 health care facilities and nursing homes, the reported.

In Calabasas, California, teachers and students at The Viewpoint School have printed more than 400 face masks, visors and pieces of protective equipment for local hospitals, the reported.

The Information Services Department at the Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania is using seven 3D printers to print headbands for face shields and teaming up with the Kohelet Yeshiva in Merion, which adds the plastic shields, the said.

Jake Spearson, a drafting teacher at Helena High School in Montana, is one of several district educators who are using their own 3D printers to make personal protective equipment for health care workers, reported.

https://www.facebook.com/jake.spearson/posts/10219922900036799

In Rye, New York, the director of Rye Country Day School鈥檚 STEAM Initiative, Cathie Bischoff, and a group of five teachers joined forces to make part of the protective face shields that health care workers and first responders so desperately need.

The teachers make rim tops for the shields and deliver them to the at the Danbury Hackerspace, which 3D-prints the face covering, assembles the full shields and distributes them to local hospitals.

“It’s really inspiring to see,鈥� Bischoff said in a story on . 鈥淓veryone and anyone can help. For us as STEAM educators, it has been especially meaningful for us to participate in this 3D printing project.”

Students and families from the school who have 3D printers at home have joined the effort, while those who have less sophisticated technology at home 鈥� such as sewing machines 鈥� are making cloth masks.

Frawley, of The Windward School, said it鈥檚 important not to miss the teachable moments that stem from the opportunity to help during the COVID-19 crisis.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really easy for middle school students like mine to write off possible careers in science, art and math 鈥� I know I did when I was their age! 鈥� but I think this can definitely inspire some of them to see how we can turn such a negative situation into something positive,鈥� Frawley told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淥nce they鈥檙e comfortable with all of the technology we鈥檝e been throwing at them, I鈥檓 thinking I might introduce them to a website where they can create their own 3D printer designs. Once things begin to calm down with the hospitals here in NYC, I can print their creations and figure out a way to deliver/mail them.鈥�

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