Shenandoah Valley News

Three student projects by engineering students at the Burton Center for Arts & Technology have earned REACH Challenge project awards through the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). 

The three BCAT engineering projects were selected as REACH Challenge semi-finalists: 

• Bathroom Assistance Agent - this project involved creating a retractable step system for preschool students with mobility challenges to step up to the sink to wash hands.  The steps included handrails and a restraint system to keep students secure while at the sink.
• MOVE (MVES Operative Vehicle Enhancement) - this project involved creating a large cart for up to eight preschool students with mobility challenges to be transported to different areas of the school for instruction, giving these students greater access to other areas of the school without creating significant transportation challenges.
• STEP (Student Teaching Enhancement Project) - this project included creating a retractable gradual step-up platform for preschool students with mobility challenges to access instructional technology including the digital display board (ActivBoard).  This platform included handrails and a restraint system to keep students secure while at the board.

REACH Challenge is an impactful Adaptive & Assistive Technology (AT) design-thinking project for middle school, high school, and college level STEM programs. Teachers are provided with lesson plans and activities on Empathy, User-Centered Design, Prototyping and more, to lead their students in using their STEM skills to REACH a member of their community who has a challenge to overcome. This innovative project shows teachers how they can help students use their STEM skills for social good, making a real-world difference in the lives of those around them.

 

This year’s award winners hail from eleven states: Washington, New York, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The students and teachers have described their experience as “heart-warming,” “profound,” and “invaluable.”

 

“This project really is life changing, not only for the person receiving the adaptive technology, but for the students and their teachers as well,” said Gavin Wood, an award-winning STEM educator who partnered with ITEEA to develop REACH Challenge. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

 

In this third year for REACH Challenge, teams created a wide variety of AT solutions, including the Power Pivot to help senior adults with mobility issues, a Thermal Kinetic Therapeutic Glove for a teen with Raynaud's which causes decreased blood flow to the fingers, and The Able-Table for preschoolers with fine motor skills challenges.

“I am absolutely blown away by these students’ innovations,” said Kelly Dooley, ITEEA Executive Director. “We couldn’t be more excited to honor these teams for their accomplishments.”

 

To celebrate how they used their love for STEM in a way that touched others’ lives, award-winning teams will receive STEM grants, a special banner to display at their schools, and supplies to support their STEM program from Harbor Freight and Maker Maven. REACH Challenge Team leads are also invited to receive their award at ITEEA's 84rd Annual Conference, to be held both in-person and virtually, March 9-12, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

Original source can be found here.