A group of four CMSD High School students are using their robotics experience to create prosthetic limbs for children in need.
CLEVELAND — At the Great Lakes Science Center, 3D printers roam around, slowly but surely creating the pieces and parts high school students need on a mission to make a difference.
Four high schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, along with the Great Lakes Science Center, make up the Greater Cleveland FIRST Robotics Initiative. This initiative gives students more exposure to STEM careers while learning about robotics and building competitive robots. Students are now using their robotics skills by helping others.
The group creates prosthetic limbs for children in need, like 13-year-old Ernest Priester. When Ernest walked by his FIRST Robotics Initiative booth, he and his mother were attending a back-to-school tech fair. I saw a prosthetic hand there.
Ernest was born without a right hand and wanted to test the arm on display. Within minutes he was able to pick up a bottle of water from the booth table.
“It’s been great because all this experience shows him who he is, what he can do, the different options he has,” said Ernest’s mother Carmen. This is all a great opportunity and a great experience, I love it and I’m rooting for the robotics team!”
According to Carmen, her son is now interested in robotics. For her sophomore student Yariselle Andujar at Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School, learning how to use this technology and assembling her prosthetic hand for Ernest was a challenge.
“We were so excited to finally get to the final product,” Yariselle told 3News. “We’re super excited to see it in action.”
Andujar, who hopes to one day become a pilot, said it was “amazing” to be able to create these prosthetics. She also uses this opportunity to encourage other young women to pursue her STEM careers.
“I can encourage and empower other cultural students, girls and women to pursue STEM and continue their careers,” she said.
From helping fellow students in Cleveland to reaching out to South America, students continue to use their skills to make an impact on lives. It was to make a prosthetic leg for Samantha, a young Ecuadorian woman. This program is in collaboration with his non-profit IMAHelps. IMAHelps is a group that leads and coordinates humanitarian medical missions around the world, but especially in South and Central America.
Jeff Crider, director of communications at IMAHelps, explains: “The potential was huge.”
IMAHelps is taking a prosthetic hand to Ecuador next week. Students hope they can Zoom with Samantha and her family. Ahead of the meeting, Yariselle said she was thrilled to have this prosthesis made for herself.
“I hope they enjoy what we did for our daughter,” she said. I’m here.
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