Using connections in the parent community, the robotics team started by reaching out to those in need. A nursing team at Hospice of the Western Reserve and a company that manufactures hand sanitizer responded, as they both needed face shields and N-95 style face masks. The team found designs online to make temporary PPE using 3D printers. They also received donations from the Lake Ridge Academy community to purchase filament, a flexible plastic used for printing. Some team members, including sophomore Connor Spencer, were able to print the PPE using their personal 3D printing machines.
Some team members coordinated logistics, and others assembled the masks. In total, they helped 16 organizations and made 1,396 items, including 1,052 face shields, 104 masks, and 240 elastic band supports.
“It’s really exciting to see the students looking for ways to use our resources to help others,” says Todd Morrison, Lake Ridge Academy’s Institute for Engineering and Innovation director. “It really says a lot about what kind of engineers they’re going to become.”
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Senior Kevin Kotobelli displays face shields that he and his teammates made to donate to community organizations.
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