The Mid-Prairie community is making a contribution to the effort to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to area healthcare providers.

Middle school teacher Terra Huber, who is part of the school’s innovation lab, has been busy making face shields with the lab’s 3-D printer.

Huber said that Superintendent Mark Schneider was contacted by Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen about utilizing the school’s 3-D printer to produce PPE. Schneider then contacted Huber.

“After a few emails and continued communication with the Mid-Prairie administration, I was allowed to pick up the 3-D printer and start the production process,” Huber said. “There are several 3-D printed designs out there, but the Iowa COVID Rapid Response Network did prototype testing and gathered feedback from clinicians.

“This helped identify the criteria and constraints of the design that would best meet their needs.”

Huber is printing the Hybrid CRIA2020 v1.2 design, as suggested by the Iowa COVID Rapid Response Network.

“I am able to print about 4-5 designs a day,” Huber said.

Huber transports the shields to a drop-off point in Iowa City.

From there, they are brought to New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) in Cedar Rapids where they are sanitized, assembled and shipped to healthcare providers.

According to NewBoCo’s website, they have formed a network of more than 40 3-D printers across the state for the effort.

NewBoCo provides the supplies needed to print the face shields. Those supplies are funded by donations made to NewBoCo.