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From the TIDES Garage to the Hospital

Rather than let the current COVID-19 crisis make him feel powerless, one Parker sophomore has partnered with the school to produce PPE using a 3D-printer from the TIDES Garage at home, donating the results to health care workers on the front lines at hospitals around the city.

Ryder Selikow first learned about people printing 3D face shields at home, to help fill the void in the current nationwide shortage, on CNN. The story highlighted a New York company retooling its 3D printers to make face shields for local hospitals. “Basically, I wanted to help any way I could. And this seemed possible,” he explained.

Familiar with the 3D printing capabilities in the school’s TIDES Garage, Selikow obtained approvals from Principal  Dan Frank and Upper School Head Justin Brandon to bring one of the school’s machines home for this effort. Next, he touched base with Integrated Learning and Information Science teacher Annette Lesak, who had been following various discussions about 3D-printed PPE on online forums. She agreed that creating face shields was the best way for Selikow to proceed using the school’s equipment. To that end, Lesak researched and provided him with an existing production design from Budmen and ordered clear plastic shield pieces to be delivered to his home to facilitate assembly and donation as soon as possible.

Developing his process at home, Selikow first 3D-prints the visor and elastic attachment pieces for the face shield. Next, he uses acetate and foam tape to assemble them into the final form.

Selikow is currently manufacturing masks for Swedish Covenant Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Lurie’s Children’s Hospital. He said, “We hope to help these hospitals in any way we can, even if in a small way. The demand for PPE is massive, and our email is being flooded with requests. We hope to meet as many of these requests as we can.”

Limiting Selikow’s home-based factory is a shortage of supplies, like 70%+ alcohol to sterilize the work surfaces, latex or nitrile gloves and surgical masks. If anyone in the community has access to supplies they would be willing to donate, or to a 3D printer and a desire to join this. effort, let him know at rselikow@fwparker.org.
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Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.