A Girl Scout troop in Dorchester, Massachusetts, recently used money earned from cookie sales to build a 3D-printed pediatric wheelchair for children with mobility challenges. The troop, made up of eight third-grade students from Girl Scout Troop 77502, spent nearly $200 from this year’s cookie proceeds on the project. Their troop leader, Corinne Curran, says the idea came after the girls visited The Boston Home, a residential care center for adults with neurological conditions.
Curran says the girls became interested in wheelchairs after the visit and were excited to learn they could build a child-sized mobility trainer using 3D-printed plastic parts. The wheelchair took about 200 hours to print and less than an hour for the troop members to assemble. The finished mobility trainer includes features like an adjustable headrest, cup holder and removable push handle.
Girl Scouts CEO Bonnie Barczykowski shares that they’re proud to see the troop use its cookie sale earnings to help other children. Curran says the girls enjoyed the project and are already looking forward to creating more wheelchairs, including one in shades of violet and eventually a power wheelchair. She adds that the troop members were excited to use the money they earned for a community service project.
Source: ABC NEWS