Six teens built 3D-printed hands for kids in Ecuador

Six Cleveland high schoolers spent ten days of their summer break at Hospital General Ibarra in Ecuador, fitting 3D-printed prosthetic hands onto pediatric patients. The teens built the devices themselves through the Great Lakes Science Center Robotics Initiative, using skills they had picked up making competition robots. Standard prosthetics run between $1,000 and $10,000, out of reach for many families. The body-powered versions the students designed cost under $150. The project, called Hands Across Borders, has delivered hands and arms to more than 80 children across four countries since 2022. On this trip, four Ecuadorian students spent two full days learning every step, and the team left them a printer and supplies to keep going. "Watching them smile, explore what they could do with it, and share that moment with their family was incredibly rewarding," said Sajayah Stephens, 16, who served as the team's spokesperson. The kids kept the printer.