Students helping students

By JoAnn R. Walter —

Another inspiring story out of Candor! Candor High School juniors Tyler Greeno and Carson Heidl, both students in Stephen Lindridge’s Manufacturing 2 class, worked together to create and construct an adaptive chair for a student in a Special Education class at Candor Elementary last fall.

The project, which took about a month to complete, was well received. The chair has since been used daily in the classroom. 

Special Education Teacher Wendy Watkins explained that her student, Lily, has Down syndrome. Small in stature for her age, the chair allows Lily to access more seating spaces within the classroom.

Watkins said, “The chair allows Lily to sit higher and safer. She is able to reach the table and work spaces while physically supported by the frame of the chair, as well as the footrest on the bottom.”

Watkins noted that the chair is meeting Lily’s needs very well for a fraction of the cost of a commercially built chair, and added, “The time and effort spent by both high school students under Mr. Lindridge’s supervision and guidance is very appreciated.”

In the initial stages of the project, Lindridge commented that there were several technical issues that needed to be overcome. One of the first significant challenges was preparing the lumber so that it could be converted for the project.

Northern Lights Restoration out of Spencer, N.Y. donated lumber for the project, and lumber that had been originally made into study carrels used at Ithaca College.

Lindridge explained that the lumber received for their project first needed to be cut with a table saw, and then glued together to form panels. Planing to thickness and cutting shapes followed, and then the next step was to precisely drill holes so that the parts could be interchangeable as well as adjustable. Hence, the chair was built to grow with the user.

The students followed patterns from an existing chair, snapped photos, and recorded measurements and tracings.

Lastly, Lindridge said, the students faced a technical hurdle while creating an adjustable back for the chair. For this step, a bracket made of steel was bent so that it could be indexed to the seat and backrest.

A notable result of this in-house build project is that a significant amount of money was saved. All of the materials used were pulled from donations, with the exception of several nuts, bolts, and other hardware.

For Tyler and Carson, as students in Manufacturing 2, they have successfully completed a full, 40-week course that focuses on all aspects of manufacturing.  They are self-directed, too, and share their knowledge with Manufacturing 1 students by coaching them on projects in the works.

From learning how to make precision measurements to the nearest .001 inch, and then setting up and operating manual metal lathes and milling machines, students in Manufacturing 1 eventually take on a project that features mass production. They also study in depth business practices like inventory tracking and streamlining the manufacturing process.  

Lindridge noted, “Second year students can use their previous knowledge to solve real-life problems in a real-life setting, so this is why a project like the adaptive chair fits them so well.”

Lindridge further commented, “The chair project offered a unique opportunity for Tyler and Carson. They not only created a new device, but gained experience in problem-solving,” and added, “They also shared the intrinsic joy of helping others.”

Watkins added that the project, “Demonstrates essential life skills taught within the district, and highlights how students can positively impact others.”