High School Science Students Give Their Classmate a Hand – Literally!

A group of high schoolers in Tennessee give a new meaning to “mano de obra”!

Do you ever sit in science class and wonder whether anything you’re learning has an impact in the real world? If you do, check out this video. A group of students at a high school in Tennessee built a robotic hand for a new classmate who was born without a fully formed right hand. The student, Sergio Peralta, initially felt self-conscious about his condition when he started at the school, but was offered help by an engineering teacher, Jeff Wilkins. Sergio and his classmates spent four weeks designing and 3D printing the prosthetic hand.

The students, who became friends with Sergio during the process, viewed the project as an opportunity to put their engineering skills into practice and solve a real-world problem. The prosthetic hand has changed Sergio’s life, enabling him to perform everyday tasks and play catch with his right hand for the first time!

When 15-year-old Sergio Peralta started a new school, he tried to hide the fact that he was born with a hand that didn’t fully form. But when a teacher in the high school engineering program found out, a few students came up with a life-changing idea. pic.twitter.com/57YlSZA2TR

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 26, 2023

Hey – don’t go!  Do you dream of being a science hero like these teens?

If so, check out our Lateenz searchable database of Internships and Programs that contains a wide range of STEM programs and STEM internships for high school students!  Many of these opportunities are FREE or will PAY you to learn science, and they’re looking for students just like you!