At Valley Catholic Middle School, students are working on a project that may give a 16-week old paralyzed dog a new leash on life. 

Sixth and seventh graders at the Beaverton school have been working on the design of prosthetic devices made out of recycled materials that one day could assist a pet with mobility issues stemming from paralysis. 

The 175 students’ science, technology, engineering, and math final exam allows them to apply their newly gained knowledge to a real-world scenario. If all goes well, a puppy named Ember, who fractured her spine in an accident, could gain mobility in her rear legs. 

 “It’s pretty fun doing everything, just building stuff and being able to do everything they’ve taught us throughout the entire year,” seventh grader Kort Huppert said. “It’s really giving meaning to the class.” 

A new view of final exams

Susan Fu, a STEM and art teacher at Valley Catholic Middle School, said the concept of a capstone project has morphed this year, creating a real case for the students to solve.

“That’s pressure,” she said. “That’s why we want to make the project kind of fun and real, so they can connect what they have learned and feel like they are making an impact.” 

“It’s moving beyond your typical multiple-choice questions and really applying their STEM knowledge to a real word scenario,” said Brad Hilliard with the communications department of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Ministries — which acts similarly to a school district for Valley Catholic. “They have been given a scenario with a dog who has had an injury and can’t use its back legs. They are challenged with building a working prototype that will enable the dog to move about.” 

Seventh grader Tara Kaushik said she’s most enjoyed the building piece of the final exam.

“This might be able to help a real animal one day, and it just gives us a better view on life, to help us in the future and to help us in our studies,” she said.

Prototype could some day become reality

School Principal Jennifer Gfroerer said it’s a project that will extend into next year. 

“It’s about the concept and the steps they go to if they were to build the device,” she said. “This particular STEM final, it’s completed with the brainstorming process.” 

Next year students will form teams, and once a concept idea is formalized, market research will be conducted at the Beaverton Farmers Market.

“We expect several of them will like this idea and piggyback off of it, but right now the final exam part of it is the design thinking process,” Gfroerer said, adding that while it’s not guaranteed Ember would receive a prosthetic designed by the students, the Labradoodle has been proven to be an inspiration.