Scotch Plains Teacher 3D Prints, Donates Hundreds Of Face Masks

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ — Instead of accumulating dust during the school closures, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School teacher Katie Hollenback is putting the school's 3D printers to work to help those fighting on the frontlines amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

"Right after schools closed, there were news articles and social media posts about people using 3D printers to help with the current healthcare crisis. We just started 3D printing last year at SPFHS and knew this was something that we could do," Hollenback said, who has been teaching technology and engineering classes for the past two years in the high school. "We have two 3D printers in our classroom at SPFHS that were just sitting, not being used with schools closed. One relatively simple idea that seemed like it could help a lot of people were face shields."

Hollenback reached out to SPFHS Principal Dr. David Heisey to see if she could borrow the 3D printers. She also ordered a printer for her home as well. Once she got approval she began printing.

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With all three printers set up she began making face shields and ear relief straps on March 27 and have been printing non-stop since.

Recently, another school district offered an additional 3D printer to help also. Now she has four.

So far Hollenback has made more than 400 face shields plus hundreds, possibly thousands, of ear relief straps. Most of the masks have been donated to family, friends and neighbors who are nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers around New Jersey. Some also went directly to Trinitas Medical Center in Elizabeth, Matheny Hospital in Peapack-Gladstone and RWJ Barnabas.

This donation is close to Hollenback's heart as her mom is a nurse at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerset.

"I'm very thankful that I'm able to help in this way. My mom is a nurse and is working with COVID patients frequently and I want her to be safe, as well as everyone else who is sacrificing so much right now to help people recover," Hollenback said.

To help cover the cost of materials Hollenback has a GoFundMe site set up for donations. Click here for more information or to make a donation.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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