What do you do when you see a 15-year-old student with a disability dropping his lunch tray while walking to the table? If you are [Adaline Hamlin]You design a 3D printed attachment for the trays so that it does not happen again.
The work was part of “Genius Hour” where [Hamlin’s] Teachers encourage students to look for things that can be made for the benefit of others. An early prototype uses straws to make stops to fit plates, cups and trays. [Zach Lance]A senior from the school’s 3D Printing Club helped create the original 3D printed pieces.
[Hamlin] Tennessee has won the Stem for All Award at the Stem and Innovation Network, and she is making the design available to other schools where it can help other students. We’re not sure how the parts are attached to the lunch tray, but we suspect some glue is involved.
We love to see young inventors and their projects. This is a very rewarding experience if you have never worked with students before. There are many potential activities. You can help and many high school teachers are doing an amazing job of teaching kids our kind of thing. Even better, they’re sharing their experiences and materials with a global audience.