By Tyler Christiansen

I had the opportunity to pick up a donated prosthesis today from the team at Colman Prosthetics & Orthotics, which I believe will be a transformative addition to our Grade 9 Biomedical Engineering Course and our prosthetics unit. This generous contribution not only demonstrates the community’s commitment to advancing education but also opens up new avenues for our students to explore the fascinating field of biomedical engineering.  This prosthetic arm should bring their learning into the real world. The team at Colman retrofitted a donated forearm with a special attachment point which lends itself perfectly to this project.  Students will be working through the design process to create unique attachments that can be easily removed and swapped out.  Some examples might be holding or tapping on a cell phone, holding a book and a light at the same time, holding different tools…  These attachments are only limited by the student’s imagination.  It should be a fun and meaningful project. 

This trans-radial prosthetic arm, designed for a child with an amputation below the elbow, will serve as a real-world, hands-on learning tool, allowing our students to delve into the intricate world of developing prosthetics,  all within the context of addressing a real-world challenge.  I am very grateful to Candice Jay and the team at Colman for recognizing the potential of our students and entrusting us with such a valuable resource that will not only enrich our curriculum but also inspire our students to become compassionate innovators and engineers. I believe this donation will make a lasting impact on both our students and the young recipient, and we look forward to sharing the progress and achievements of our students as they embark on this exceptional educational journey.