MUHLENBERG TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Students from the Exeter Township and Fleetwood Area school districts put their engineering skills to the test at the BCIU’s 3rd Toy Adaptation Day.
“We built this program to focus on the STEM aspect, but we also wanted to bring in the inclusivity piece of it. So, it’s really exciting to have middle school, high school, college students, our PAL program all working together,” says Katie Kehm, BCIU Program Administrator.
“The first day we were only doing where we took apart the thing, rewired it and then attached the button,” says 8th grader at Fleetwood Area Middle School, Myles Eckert. “The second day we were kind of doing that again but also soldering it and then the third day we’re doing it all in one go.”
They’re taking toys that operate with the push of a button and adapting them with an easy button to make it simpler to use.
“It’s like pretty cool because we’re accommodating to people with disabilities so that means that anybody could use those, especially people who don’t have hand/eye coordination,” says Isaiah Johnson, a 7th grader at Fleetwood Area Middle School.
“I built Legos, but I think that this is more advanced that Legos, than just putting bricks together and all that,” says Aedan Jobes who is in the PAL Program.
The learning and planning for this project started back in September. Everyone involved seems to enjoy it.
“It’s fun, there’s a lot more hands on activity than just sitting at a desk all day,” says Johnson.
The 72 adapted toys will be distributed to elementary school children with special needs.
“I’m just glad how we’re doing a good cause for all these kids,” says Jobes. “It’s very important.”