CLEVELAND, Ohio — Making a difference can happen at any age — and it’s happening right here in Northeast Ohio. At the Great Lakes Science Center, an idea sparked by two high school students is now changing lives around the world.
Inside the high school robotics lab at the Great Lakes Science Center, innovation is built layer by layer. Robots aren't the only things these students are making.
“They discovered that the same 3D printers that we were using to make parts for their robots, they could use those to make prosthetic limbs for children,” said JonDarr Bradshaw, Community engagement coordinator, robotics initiative program lead.
The idea began in 2022 after Bradshaw challenged the students to find a way to make an impact. Two students — one of them Yariselle Andujar, who was a high school freshman at the time and is now a freshman at Kent State — saw a girl in Ecuador who didn’t have an arm and came up with a way to help her by creating a 3D-printed prosthetic arm. That was just the beginning.
“The fact that we're going to make a prosthetic for Samantha, who is overseas, that kind of sparked, okay, like, you know, let's make this a project,” said Andujar.
From that moment, Hands Across Borders was born. During their work, they also learned that traditional prosthetics can cost tens of thousands of dollars — and many providers won't fit children because they’re still growing.
“We can make a 3D-printed one for about $55 per hand — about $70 to $80 for a whole arm,” said Bradshaw.
In the four years since, students have designed and built prosthetic hands — and taught others how to make them using 3D printers. They’ve been able to do it while working with Med Access International and the Rotary Club.
“Every time we travel abroad, we try to pair ourselves up with high school students or college students in the local community. We use locally sourced 3D printers, and we teach them that process. So when we leave that country and come back to the United States, the work we started doesn't end when we leave,” said Bradshaw.
So far, they have sent dozens of hands across North and South America, including right here in Cleveland, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.
“They can catch a ball, they can ride a bike, they can comb their hair, they can brush it,” said Bradshaw.
Now their reach extends to Jordan, helping children impacted by the war in Gaza.
“JonDar and his team, together with the local team here, we did the training online for the school kids,” said Suleiman Halasah, Member of Rotary Club in Jordan.
With that training, students in Jordan were able to build and provide arms for two girls.
“It's a very good way to show the school kids that actually they can have great impact in their own community,” said Halasah.
This fall, Bradshaw plans to travel to Jordan in person to continue that training.
“It builds bridges. Builds bridges between people, between communities, between countries, to see our students having started something and help propel this, this amazing idea around the world,” said Bradshaw.
And most importantly, they plan to continue their mission.
“I hope that it continues on. I hope that we can keep up with our with our sponsors, and keep you know, fulfilling out you know, these missions and just helping people,” said Andujar.
To learn more about Hands Across Borders, click here.
