New Brunswick Students Make an Impact by Building and Donating Assistive Devices

October 24, 2024

Recently, students from the (DSFS) in New Brunswick had the chance to witness the impact of their hard work firsthand during a visit to donate devices to the .

The students stand outside the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation.In a partnership with Neil Squire鈥檚 program and , students from the DSFS have been learning skills like 3D printing and soldering to adapt toys and build assistive devices for people with disabilities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a fantastic project that brings together different partners working together towards a common goal, and really, at the end of the day, we are getting students building devices that improves the everyday lives for individuals in their community,鈥听says Mario Levesque, the Development Officer of Technological Projects for Place aux comp茅tences, a non-profit organization that works with Francophone schools in New Brunswick. They offer programs that support students and teachers in technological, multimedia, and entrepreneurship projects.

In addition to participating in build events held in schools and in other events held in Fredericton with Makers Making Change, the students also 3D print parts and continue to build devices throughout the school year during their spare time. The students built over 110 devices the last school year, including the ones they donated to the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation.

A student works on switch-adapting a Pikachu toy.鈥淚 had students who were deeply moved by the fact that they were genuinely helping someone,鈥 says Mario. 鈥淕iving a child with a disability the opportunity to play and interact with a toy is an authentic and tangible experience.鈥

During their visit to the Stan Cassidy Centre, the students learned about potential career paths linked to the project and how the skills they’re developing can be applied in their everyday life.

While this school year just started, the students have been hard at work, having started the process of printing parts and building devices. Mario says he sees the program expanding to more schools in the region.

鈥淲e’re going to go strong at it this year again,鈥听he says.


Des 茅l猫ves du Nouveau-Brunswick font une diff茅rence en faisant don d鈥檃ppareils fonctionnels qu鈥檌ls ont fabriqu茅s

R茅cemment, des 茅l猫ves du (DSFS) du Nouveau-Brunswick ont eu la chance de constater de leurs propres yeux la valeur de leur travail durant leur visite au , o霉 ils ont fait don d鈥檃ppareils fonctionnels.

The students stand outside the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation.Dans le cadre d鈥檜n partenariat avec les programmes 听de Neil Squire et , les 茅l猫ves du DSFS ont acquis des comp茅tences telles que l鈥檌mpression 3D et la soudure pour adapter des jouets et fabriquer des appareils fonctionnels pour les personnes handicap茅es.

芦鈥C鈥檈st un projet fantastique o霉 diff茅rents partenaires travaillent ensemble pour atteindre un objectif commun et, au final, les 茅l猫ves fabriquent des appareils qui am茅liorent la vie quotidienne des membres de leur communaut茅鈥壜, explique Mario听Levesque, agent de d茅veloppement des projets technologiques pour Place aux comp茅tences, un organisme sans but lucratif qui travaille avec les 茅coles francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick. L鈥檕rganisme offre des programmes qui soutiennent les 茅l猫ves et les enseignants dans des projets technologiques, multim茅dias et d鈥檈ntrepreneuriat.

En plus de participer aux ateliers technologiques听et 脿 d鈥檃utres 茅v茅nements organis茅s 脿 Fredericton avec Fabricants pour le changement, les 茅l猫ves impriment 茅galement des pi猫ces en 3D et continuent de fabriquer des appareils tout au long de l鈥檃nn茅e scolaire pendant leur temps libre. Au cours de la derni猫re ann茅e scolaire, ils ont fabriqu茅 plus de 110听appareils, y compris ceux qu鈥檌ls ont donn茅s au Centre de r茅adaptation Stan听Cassidy.

A student works on switch-adapting a Pikachu toy.芦鈥Certains de mes 茅l猫ves 茅taient profond茅ment 茅mus de voir qu鈥檌ls aidaient r茅ellement quelqu鈥檜n,听explique Mario.听Donner 脿 un enfant d茅ficient la possibilit茅 de s’amuser et d’interagir avec un jouet听est une exp茅rience authentique et concr猫te.鈥壜

La visite du Centre Stan听Cassidy a permis aux 茅l猫ves d鈥檈n apprendre davantage sur les possibilit茅s de carri猫re associ茅es au projet et sur la mani猫re dont les comp茅tences qu鈥檌ls acqui猫rent peuvent 锚tre appliqu茅es dans leur vie quotidienne.

Bien que l鈥檃nn茅e scolaire vienne tout juste de commencer, les 茅l猫ves ont travaill茅 fort et ont entam茅 le processus d鈥檌mpression de pi猫ces et de fabrication d鈥檃ppareils. Mario envisage d鈥櫭﹖endre le programme 脿 d鈥檃utres 茅coles de la r茅gion.

Nous allons redoubler d鈥檈fforts cette ann茅e encore 禄, affirme-t-il.