The BCIU’s Office of Professional Learning (OPL) hosted the second annual Toy Adaptation Day at the BCIU Main Office on Friday, December 6. Students from the Brandywine Heights Area School District (BHASD) and the Muhlenberg School District (MSD) worked with the FiERCE (Futures in Engineering: Role-models Can Empower) students and their engineering professors from Penn State Berks to modify battery and switch-operated toys to be more conducive for students with special needs who require switch-adapted toys for gross motor skills.
The event served as a build day for the students to bring their switch-created adaptations, take apart the toys, modify them, put them back together, and place a tag on the toys to be given to students within the Brandywine Heights Area, Muhlenberg, and other Berks County schools. Students from the BCIU’s Pathways to Adult Living (PAL) program also participated in various stations, gaining valuable teamwork experience. They also helped to test the adapted toys and prepared them for distribution. Berks LaunchBox also served as a contributing partner for the day, helping to process 3-D printed molds that were necessary for this project.
This episode of “Quick Connect” provides an inside look at the Toy Adaptation “Build Day” and showcases the hard work of everyone involved. We extend gratitude to the Brandywine Heights Area School District, Muhlenberg School District, Penn State Berks students and educators, Penn State Berks FiERCE, the BCIU Offices of Professional Learning and Early Childhood and Student Services, the PAL Program, Berks LaunchBox, and all other staff who participated in and contributed to Toy Adaptation Day!
We will see you in the next episode of “Quick Connect!”