EVENT REMINDER - Tuesday At 9 A.m. - Valley Catholic Middle School Students Design Prosthetics For Paralyzed Dog In Heartfelt STEM Challenge (Photo)
-06/09/25
(BEAVERTON, OR)- June 9, 2025. Media are invited to join us Tuesday at 9 a.m. to witness an inspiring display of innovation, empathy, and problem-solving as 7th-grade students at Valley Catholic Middle School (VCMS) participate in their STEM final exam. Students will be tasked with a significant hands-on project: building a working prototype of a prosthetic device out of recycled materials to help Ember, a 16-week-old labradoodle whose true story of paralysis has touched the community, regain her mobility.
Event Details:
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What: Valley Catholic Middle School STEM Design Final – Students design and build working prosthetic prototypes to help Ember, a real paralyzed dog.
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When: Tuesday, June 10, 9 -10 a.m.
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Where: Valley Catholic Middle School, 4420 SW St. Mary's Dr., Beaverton
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Media Accessibility: Excellent photo and video opportunities of students designing and testing their prototypes. Interviews will be available with teachers and students to discuss the project, and the design process. (Ember and her owners will not be able to attend but photo and interview options from the family are available.)
This engaging final exam moves beyond traditional testing, challenging students to apply their knowledge to a poignant real-world scenario. Ember, a playful labradoodle, fractured her spine in an accident, leaving her rear legs paralyzed. The exam requires students to follow the complete engineering design process, from defining the problem based on Ember's needs, and brainstorming solutions, to building, testing, and iterating their prototypes. Students will need to ensure their designs could pull a stuffed animal (representing Ember during testing) at least one meter without breaking and keeping the "dog" safely inside, with free-spinning wheels to allow for playful movement.
Valley Catholic Middle School is a fully accredited, STEM-certified institution and one of the only international STEM-certified schools in the Northwest. The school's commitment to STEM is integrated throughout its curriculum, empowering students to apply design-thinking principles across all subjects and to real-world challenges. This final project is a testament to that immersive approach, showcasing students' creativity, critical thinking, and engineering skills in service of a genuine need.
We encourage you to attend and capture this compelling story of young innovators at work, applying their skills to make a tangible difference.
Attachments: A photo of Ember, the brave dog who is inspiring this innovative design project. Two photos of students involved in hands-on STEM learning at VCMS.
Valley Catholic Middle School Students Design Prosthetics For Paralyzed Dog In Heartfelt STEM Challenge
-06/06/25
Beaverton, Ore. - June 6, 2025. Media are invited to witness an inspiring display of innovation, empathy, and problem-solving as 7th-grade students at Valley Catholic Middle School (VCMS) participate in their STEM final exam. Students will be tasked with a significant hands-on project: building a working prototype of a prosthetic device out of recycled materials to help Ember, a 16-week-old labradoodle whose true story of paralysis has touched the community, regain her mobility.
Event Details:
-
What: Valley Catholic Middle School STEM Design Final – Students design and build working prosthetic prototypes to help Ember, a real paralyzed dog.
-
When: Tuesday, June 10, 9 -10 a.m.
-
Where: Valley Catholic Middle School, 4420 SW St. Mary's Dr., Beaverton
-
Media Accessibility: Excellent photo and video opportunities of students designing and testing their prototypes. Interviews will be available with teachers and students to discuss the project, and the design process. (At this time, Ember and her owners will not be able to attend. Photo and interview options from the family may become available next week.)
This engaging final exam moves beyond traditional testing, challenging students to apply their knowledge to a poignant real-world scenario. Ember, a playful labradoodle, fractured her spine in an accident, leaving her rear legs paralyzed. The exam requires students to follow the complete engineering design process, from defining the problem based on Ember's needs, and brainstorming solutions, to building, testing, and iterating their prototypes. Students will need to ensure their designs could pull a stuffed animal (representing Ember during testing) at least one meter without breaking and keeping the "dog" safely inside, with free-spinning wheels to allow for playful movement.
Valley Catholic Middle School is a fully accredited, STEM-certified institution and one of the only international STEM-certified schools in the Northwest. The school's commitment to STEM is integrated throughout its curriculum, empowering students to apply design-thinking principles across all subjects and to real-world challenges. This final project is a testament to that immersive approach, showcasing students' creativity, critical thinking, and engineering skills in service of a genuine need.
We encourage you to attend and capture this compelling story of young innovators at work, applying their skills to make a tangible difference.