NSCDS Partners With Over The Rainbow For 3D Printer Project

Photos courtesy North Shore Country Day School.

Group shot: (From left to right) fifth grader Margaux Major, NSCDS Lower School Head Pam Whalley, Over the Rainbow Resident Matthew Torchal, Kendra Kney from Over the Rainbow, and fifth grader Brenna Cotter.

Fifth grade students at North Shore Country Day School and residents of Over The Rainbow in Evanston are all benefiting from a partnership formed between the two institutions a few months back.

As part of a collaborative project involving many subject areas, NSCDS students have been designing objects for 3D printers this year. While touching base with Patrick Hughes of Inclusion Solutions in Evanston (a business that helps people with disabilities navigate the world), it was suggested the kids could design objects that would be useful to residents of OTR, many of which deal with isolation problems in addition to their physical handicaps due to a lack of family nearby.

But the partnership took a step forward even before the groups would meet on what to design. About 40 of the students began writing pen pal letters to eight residents and the residents would return the letters introducing themselves. After a while of getting to know one another, they met and talked about how their class project would help them.

“The kids have been really excited about getting to know their partners,” said Libby Ester, the fifth grade teacher at NSCDS organizing the effort. “Since they were already pen pals, by the time they met, it was understood we were working on these projects. It served as a very good reason for them to get to know the residents personally and learn about others’ disabilities as well.”

Kendra Kney, a social worker at OTR facilitating this program, says it is progressing “very well,” and hopes other schools in Evanston and around the North Shore will take note and institute similar initiatives to help the residents integrate more with the outside community.

“This has turned out to be bigger than expected,” Kney said. “We need to increase the number of connections in the community for the residents and bring awareness to our mission to create affordable, barrier-free special needs housing for our residents.”

Over The Rainbow seeks to be the leading provider of affordable, barrier-free housing solutions for people with physical disabilities, according to Tara Moran, VP of Development and General Counsel. Its cornerstone programs are residential services and future housing. The latter, obviously, is paramount on forming relationships with outside entities such as the students at NSCDS.

“This partnership has gone so well, I foresee other schools in and around Evanston becoming interested in having similar opportunities to engage kids and teach them how to interact with people with disabilities,” Moran said.

Ester says her students have already met with their partners in selecting the products that will be made, and that the next step is designing them on the software. Soon after, they will be printed and delivered to Over the Rainbow for use.

During their first meet at OTR, the students explained to the residents about the 3D printing process, which melts material in a machine and lays it in thin layers until it forms an object that can be used.

WATCH HOW TO USE A 3D PRINTER

Ester says the students have “thrown themselves” into this project and that it has been “a great learning experience for everyone, teachers included.”

“I am hoping this continues for future classes. It has been meaningful for everybody,” she said.

To Contribute To Over The Rainbow:

Donate via the organization’s website or by contacting Moran at 847-424-5604.

The organization has nine current facilities, and is headquartered in Evanston. Moran says the 10th and 11th in Cook County are already in the works, with the 11th set to open by the end of 2016 in Des Plaines.