Sixth- through eighth-graders at St. Joseph School in Cuyahoga Falls literally lent some helping hands to Hands for Gratitude, a nonprofit that distributes prosthetics to needy people around the world.
The students constructed 20 3-D printed prosthetic hands that were sent to recipients in the United States and Central America. The hand components and onsite instruction were provided by Hands of Gratitude.
Fifth-graders helped with the project by designing carrying bags and personal cards to accompany the prosthetics when they were distributed to recipients.
The students used components provided by Hands of Gratitude in conjunction with their Chromebooks and other technology to build, assemble and test the prosthetic hands.
“The Hands of Gratitude project provided an opportunity for student teams to connect their faith with technology to make a difference in the global community,” said Carrie DePasquale, St. Joseph School principal. “This integration of content subject areas into a cohesive learning project based on real-world applications is a part of our X-STREAM learning program.”
The Hands of Gratitude project is just one component of the SJS educational program Building Community through Coding and Real-World Problem Solving, which is funded by a $15,000 grant from the GAR Foundation.
St. Joseph School, which includes preschool through eighth grade, offers several community service projects throughout the year to teach empathy and compassion for others. It was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for its academics and a Purple Star School for its dedication to families in the military.
In addition to traditional subjects, St. Joseph School offers X-STREAM learning which, like STEM, integrates content subject areas into cohesive learning projects based on real-world applications. The school collaborates with community neighbors like Kent State University, University Hospitals. Millapore Sigma, the University of Akron and Snapology to provide hands-on discovery across all grade levels.