Pittsburgh Public Schools CTE Teachers Support Frontline Workers During the Pandemic
Using the training tools and techniques provided to their students, teachers in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division of Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) are doing their part to support frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teachers from Pittsburgh Allderdice and Pittsburgh Carrick, the Health Careers Technology teacher at Pittsburgh Perry, along with CTE teachers in the Engineering program at Pittsburgh Allderdice and Pittsburgh Obama made face masks and plastic extender straps for those masks, for health care workers at AHN Allegheny General Hospital, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, and Kane Hospital.
Sewing skills are taught by the FACS instructors, and they used those skills to make face masks with filter pockets. The Engineering teachers used the same 3D printers on which they teach additive manufacturing to make adjustable extender straps for the face masks. These straps provide an extra measure of comfort and protection from skin irritation for frontline workers who must wear the face masks for longer periods of time than the general public.
CTE has longstanding partnerships with AHN Allegheny General Hospital and Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. Each organization has provided invaluable support to the CTE Health Careers Technology students at Pittsburgh Westinghouse, Pittsburgh Carrick and Pittsburgh Perry – helping to prepare them for career opportunities in this high-demand, essential field.
On Thursday, April 30, PPS Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and CTE Executive Director Angela Mike presented a donation of 100 face masks and extender straps to AHN Allegheny General Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, Duke Rupert and Mark Jones, Senior Community Affairs Analyst for Highmark Health.
On May 15, masks and extenders were donated to Presbyterian SeniorCare Network.
Additional donations were sent to Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital and childcare workers in PPS partner facilities. The Heinz Endowments generously provided funding support for this initiative.