Folsom school staff busy making 3D masks

With proper protective gear in short supply due to COVID-19, some area faculty are stepping up and coming to the aid of healthcare workers, making 3D printed masks to help keep the hard-working professionals safe."The COVID-19 pandemic and health crisis has led to a shortage of personal protective equipment and masks for health professionals. Through our partnerships with the community and healthcare professionals, we found out that 3D mask printing was something the medical community could use. Superintendent Dr. Sarah Koligian immediately approved the idea and we began working with Mercy Medical Group, specifically Dr. Jill Walsh and Dr. Megan Babb to establish the mask design guidelines and to distribute the masks to medical professionals," said Alicia Caddell, MA, CTE coordinator and Angela Griffin, APR, community engagement specialist at Folsom Cordova Unified School District."CTE and elementary school teachers who had expertise in 3D printing volunteered their time to help. Overall, there are 12 teachers throughout our district, including three in Folsom: Doug Lewin (Vista del Lago), Pam Goldman (Folsom High) and Mary Beth Story (Folsom Lake High School)," Caddell said.3D printing technology has been around for almost 40 years. The additive process is utilized to create a three-dimensional object. A wide array of items can be created with this technology, from handmade camera lens, an acoustic guitar, and yes, face masks. The process, Cadell said, takes several hours but the finished product is well worth the time."It takes about 3.5 to 4 hours to print a mask. Additionally, we began making straps to secure the masks. To date we have made over 300 masks and straps, and we expect to have made and donated over 500 by the end of April," said Caddell."With school closures, many teachers brought the 3D printers home so they could be put into action, printing the masks," continued Caddell. The Folsom Telegraph asked Mary Beth Story how the masks are made with the 3D printer technology (this one in particular is the X-one(2) Qidi Tech, which costs a few hundred dollars. She is working from her home and volunteering her time to create these masks, even on spring break. "You pull down a file onto the computer. There is a specific program that goes with the printer. You put in a few different settings, download it to an SD card, the SD card goes into the side of the printer, and then you ask it to print that file," said Story. Her daughter has also made homemade masks with cool fabric designs for friends and family."It is fun. It is great to be able to help out," shared Story.The mask material is PLA (Poly Lactic Acid), a hard plastic that can be easily sterilized and derived from renewable resources.Schools in the district have been using 3D printers as instructional equipment, with most being purchased with grant funding from STEM and CTE (Career Technical Education) programs, and donations from community members. Classes taught in these programs include everything from animation, biotechnology, engineering and manufacturing. Currently, a new CTE building has broken ground and is underway for manufacturing and product design at Folsom High School. These programs spark interest in many students."I took my students over to Folsom Lake College and did a tour of the CTE program there. And every time a handful of my students come up to me the next day, wanting to know more about the program and asking how do I register, how do I sign up? I can see myself here," said Story.While distance learning is the platform for education during the pandemic, teachers in the district have shared the 3D printing of masks with students, keeping them engaged and looking toward the future."We are all learning. This changes the face of economics, industry and education dramatically. We are all involved and affected by it. This may be an opportunity to learn how to do education and business differently. We are all so interconnected; this is an amazing demonstration that we care about our world. Our school district has also been donating gloves and different kinds of supplies that are used in our science instruction to help health care workers on the front lines," said Griffin. Folsom Cordova School District staff has been busy making 3D masks using their classroom technology.