Weekly roundup: Students build prosthetic hands for children, Femineers engaged in STEM and more

Students at St. Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo are already making a meaningful impact across the globe with their work at school.

Every eighth-grader who attends the K-8 private school participates in a project that uses 3D printers to create parts of prosthetic hands, which students assemble before shipping them to India.

news, education newsThe Orange County Register featured the St. Mary’s students this week. Last year, 85 students created nearly 25 prosthetic hands that were shipped to India by Enabling the Future. This year, the goal is to create up to 34 prosthetic hands.

“This year we have more 3D printers, which has helped us to produce the pieces for the 3D printed prosthetic hands in a shorter amount of time,” Katie Red, eighth-grade science teacher, told the Register. “Last year it was sort of an all-year process; this year the eighth-graders are now finishing up the printing and will start assembling.”

Aside from helping children in need of a prosthetic hand, the project also helps the St. Mary’s students understand how scientific and technological innovation can impact communities across the globe, Red said.

Here are a few more education stories from across Orange County for the week ending Dec. 22.

  • Ten tons of snow greeted students at Sun View Elementary in Huntington Beach as part of the school’s “Snow Day.” Students built snowmen, tossed snow balls and made snow angels during the day.
  • Tustin High School has started an engineering club aimed specifically at girls to help encourage more of them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. The Femineers Club is one of the first of its kind across the region.

Keep up to date with more schools news by bookmarking newsroom.ocde.us.