Engineering students share the limelight with their teachers, Mr. Yates (left) and Ms. Ball (right)        (Photo: Northrop Grumman)By: Amadou Bah

By Amadou Bah,

Students from two Baltimore high schools (Patterson & National Academy Foundation)  had the chance to create prosthetic hands for children around the world. Both Mr. Yates and Ms. Ball selected six students to go on the field trip on Oct. 3, 2016.

Students from Patterson High School and National Academy Foundation (NAF), had the chance to pair up with volunteers from Northrop Grumman for a hands-on experience. The students had the guidance of one volunteer from Northrop Grumman for each table, with the exception of Amadou Bah, who had the guidance of two volunteers. All students also had the materials from 3D printers as part of a program that organizers said “keeps rapidly growing every year.”

Those involved in the program hope developing a prosthetic hand will not only change the life of the child that will use it, but also the ones that are assembling it.

Prosthetic Hand Assembled by Students (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

The program is part of Manufacturing Week. Overall, 13 Northrop Grumman campuses across the country are doing the same project with students.

“Last year we did this event and we just loved it,” Ingrid Vaughn, vice president of manufacturing for Northrup Grumman, told WBALTV. “We were able to produce 160 hands, and we distributed them to Enabling the Future. So that was really a first-year big hit, so we are trying to do the same thing this year.”

When students are finished, the hands will go to a child in need anywhere in the world, thanks to the nonprofit, e-NABLE.