After the quality of IHA’s hand design was approved by the organization, our club members printed and donated five unassembled hands and assembly kits.

These donations can and will make a significant impact on the lives of so many people. Occupational therapists, prosthetists, hand specialists, nurses, and clinicians can train with the prosthetic hands to learn how to assemble 3-D printable assistive devices for their patients. They can then begin creating these low-cost designs for dozens of their clients and patients who have no other option for an assistive device.

The prosthetics can also be used to create educational kits for schools or classrooms that do not have 3-D printers of their own. “A single hand kit can be a potential source of inspiration to our next generation of change makers,” said Mrs. Alice Nudelman, Information Management Specialist, engineering teacher, and Applied Engineering Club moderator. “Students will be able to see how their ideas and imaginations could potentially change the lives of thousands of people worldwide.”

Furthermore, scouts, schools, medical students, and youth groups can utilize the donations for hand-a-thon builds as STEM-based service learning projects. For every hand kit that is gifted to use for a hand-a-thon build event, two to five students are able to learn about 3-D printing design, practice team building skills, and create a tool that will be used by someone in need of a “helping hand.” The hands are assembled at the hand-a-thon builds, and then returned to e-Nabling the Future upon completion to be distributed to clinics in underserved areas with long waitlists.

“​Our club members are thrilled to be able to make a difference in the lives of many by donating hand kits for STEM-​based service learning education and medical professional training purposes,” Mrs. Nudelman said. “The impact that our donation will make may be larger than we can imagine. The possibility is quite high that our donation may be what inspires another student to become an engineer, an innovator, and a change maker who someday helps to ‘e-Nable the Future’ for many more. And that is priceless.”