NEW PALESTINE — The idea is to always learn, educator Mitch Burk said.
Burk, a New Palestine High School history teacher, did just that these past few weeks when he undertook a project to help others during the pandemic and was successful despite not having any prior experience in the field.
Burk’s mother and wife work in health care. As soon as he learned there was a shortages of personal protection equipment among health workers fighting the pandemic, he wondered if there was something he could do.
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At the time, Burk was on spring break with plenty of time on his hands and realized he had his 3D printer — one he’d bought for his class — at home with him. When he set it up for the first time to learn about its capabilities, the software program displayed a banner listing possible COVID-19 projects.
Burk decided on the spot he would make as many face shields as he could and donate them to Hancock Regional Hospital.
“So, the very first project I did on my printer was a headband for a face shield,” Burk said.
Burk had his first face shield completed and ready for use in less than an hour and realized, if he hunkered down, he might be able to make a real difference and produce dozens of face shields to keep health workers like his mom and his wife safe.
“I got in contact with a doctor my mom works with who me told me they’d take as many face shields as I could produce,” Burk said.
Burk delivered 50 pieces to Hancock Regional Hospital on Monday, April 13, and he planned to drop off an additional five at Buck Creek Township Fire Department.
Nancy Davis, executive director of the Hancock Health Foundation, said Burk is one of a handful of people who have stepped forward to help make the 3D face shields for local health-care workers.
“It’s just amazing what our community is doing,” Davis said. “We’ve had so many people in our community want to help.”
The work Burk did made a difference. His and all the donations from the community are put in one place, and the supply chain manager keeps track of where things go and who gets what, Davis said.
Hospital officials were so impressed with Burk’s work they supplied him with stronger plastic material to make the face shields even better.
Once Burk realized how one person could make a difference, he decided to use his experience as a teaching lesson for his students and enlisted others, including more teachers, to work on the cause.
“I’ll basically be challenging my students these next three or four weeks asking them what they can do now with so much time on their hands,” Burk said. “There is no time for any person to sit back and say they are bored with so much time on their hands.”
Burk even carved out some time via e-learning with his students this week to educate them on the response to COVID-19, comparing it to the Spanish Flu of 1918, which he said was overshadowed by the timing of the end of World War I.
Burk has received permission to put the school’s other 3-D printers into service, and so far, he’s helped produce 70 face shields. The work has become a call to duty.
“I feel like it has become my space here to let schools across the state know they have so many untapped resources,” Burk said.
All Indiana school buildings will be vacant for weeks, so Burk suggested schools that have things available like work gloves, masks and goggles should gather them and donate them to health-care providers.
Southern Hancock donated hundreds of gloves and goggles from science classrooms; N95 masks from construction classes; and disinfecting solution.
Burk’s ultimate goal was to produce at least 200 face shields and some “ear saver” pieces to reduce the irritation from wearing masks whose cords fit over the ears.
