FabLab workshops at schools of the capital produce protective equipment for medical specialists

Even though schools of the capital are empty while in quarantine and remote learning, some serious work has started in some of them – teachers of the innovative FabLab workshop started to produce various protective equipment for medical specialists, complying with hygiene and safety requirements, with remote assistance of their students.

“Such a challenging period in which we now live is a perfect time for manifestation of the most original and creative solutions. The example set by our schools proves that creativity can also be combined with civic duty and concern for others. I am very happy with school communities, which have voluntarily decided to contribute and employ their equipment for noble purposes – ensuring protection of medical specialists and their relatives”, said Vytautas Mitalas, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius.

Teachers of seven schools of the capital – Aurimas Lingė from Jonas Basanavičius Gymnasium, Božena Ambrozevičienė and Aleksas Aliukonis from Simonas Konarskis Gymnasium, Jolita Stapurevičiūtė from Ąžuolynas Progymnasium, Pavel Fikert from VGTU Engineering Lyceum, Mindaugas Masaitis from Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium, Donatas Kriukas from Salomėja Nėris Gymnasium and Snieguolė Bagočienė from Sietuva Progymnasium – expressed their will to join the initiative and to produce protective equipment for medical specialists.

“Robotikos Mokykla” and VGTU “Linkmenų Fabrikas” coordinate the production of protective shields. They shared a model of their created protective face shield, and schools can adjust the model themselves adapting it for the laser machines in their FabLab workshops. Companies voluntarily provide schools with the necessary materials. Safety requirements are complied with during production, using protective measures and keeping the appropriate distance.

“Martynas Matijošius, class IIA student, who now studies remotely, adapted the received model and produced 90 protective face shields. The technology teacher Aurimas Lingė set up the technical production process. Our gymnasium’s wish “We are with you!” to medical specialists, who will wear the shields, engraved on the front part of the protective face shields using laser cutting machines also becomes a wish to get well of the medical specialists to the sick”, – Jūratė Poškaitė-Genienė, Deputy Director for Education of J. Basanavičiaus Gymnasium told.

Protective shields produced at the J. Basanavičiaus Gymnasium were handed over to the Vilnius City Administration, which will distribute them to pre-school, pre-primary and general education institutions attended by children of medical specialists who are fighting the virus.

Today, the technology teacher of the Gymnasium Aurimas Lingė voluntarily delivered 30 protective face shields to the Infectious Disease Department of the Panevėžys City Public Hospital and handed them over to the Head of the Department Eugenijus Preidis. E. Preidis and all the staff of the Infectious Disease Department sincerely thanked for the beautiful initiative.

The City of Vilnius is proud of the mature and initiative community of the capital’s schools, which not only gave meaning to the start of activities of the FabLab technical creative workshops, but also made a significant contribution to public safety. According to the representatives of school Fab Labs, if necessary, the production of masks could be extended – currently, most of the shields are produced by a private company, which makes about 10 000 of them per day.

Currently, FabLab workshops operate in 25 schools of Vilnius, and another 10 are expected to open this year. More about the project: https://www.svietimopazanga.lt/projektai/atviros-technines-ir-kurybines-dirbtuves/