The PPE at CC project mobilizes the human, technological, and financial resources of Colorado College to address the growing gap in personal protective equipment supply both locally and nationally. Students and faculty in design, mathematics, programming, and the social sciences are collaborating to produce Prusa and Verskstan model face shields using two 3-D printers in the Colorado College Art Department. So far, we have delivered over 1,000 face shields; over 500 of which have benefited six healthcare facilities in the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Our other partners include the Colorado Springs Dental Society and the Pikes Peak Emergency Management Team. We seek to continue and scale production for as long as the Covid-19 crisis is affecting these communities, while engaging students in a creative, interdisciplinary, and real-world problem-solving process.
We use and share open-source materials throughout our production process, assisting community members in their own initiatives to 3-D print or otherwise build personal protective equipment. Students are involved in all stages of production, and we provide a livable wage to students working full-time on the project who have lost their on-campus or other jobs. With additional funding, we will be able to hire more students in this capacity, scaling PPE production and equipping those involved with the tools to tackle complex design and community development challenges.
The face shields we produce reduce coronavirus exposure for healthcare professionals and other frontline workers, and our partnership with the Navajo Area Indian Health Services in particular allows us to connect community resources with an especially vulnerable population– at present, the Navajo Nation has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the U.S. As the project evolves, we hope to expand our collaboration with the NAIHS, using our 3-D printing capability to provide other needed equipment to NAIHS hospitals and to support their preparation for future health crises.
