Bishop McGuinness Students Use STEM To Create Personal Protective Equipment

Bishop McGuinness students are using their quarantine time to make a difference during the pandemic.

Knowing students likely wouldn’t be returning from spring break, school STEM director Lauren Smith allowed students to take home the class 3D printers.

Meanwhile, another student brought Smith an idea from the American Institute of Architects.

“Her dad is actually an architect in Oklahoma City. So, he works with AIA. AIA basically they had designed these ear savers, and they put out a call to all of Oklahoma City,” Smith said.

Smith sent the pattern and call for the ear savers to her two students with the printers, Daniel Webber and Jacob Marino.

The two students got to work and exceeded expectations.

“They were looking for about 600 and between me and my friend Daniel, we printed about 530 of those 600,” Marino said.

With a standard pattern, and supplies given by the school, the students simply transfer the design from a computer to the printers.

“I basically press a few buttons and it starts printing. It’s pretty simple,” Marino said.

The finished ear savers are sent out to essential workers throughout Oklahoma City.

“It’s kind of hard for me to just be at home when there’s a global pandemic,” Webber said.

While the process does take some time, the students said it’s easy enough for almost anyone with a 3D printer to do.

“Just printing off 10 ear savers and popping them off every 15 minutes just did not seem too tall a task,” Webber said.

After talking with medical professionals, Smith and her students expanded the program.

There is now an online form where people can request ear savers through Bishop McGuinness.

“I’m so proud of them. You know these students for so long, then to see them in their junior and senior year really maturing and making these decisions to use their time to help these other people, it’s really impressive to me,” Smith said.

The students said they’ll continue combining STEM and service as long as needed.

“We have the resources so we might as well help,” Marino said.