Kim Derrick has worked at Boyd-Buchanan School for almost 20 years as the aftercare director, watching after children from Pre-K to sixth grade.
In January, she suffered a stroke, and though she’s recovered significantly, she still has limited mobility in her left arm. That’s what inspired Jason Owens, a longtime friend of Derrick’s, to recruit his high school engineering students to design various products to help Derrick with everyday tasks.
With Derrick’s permission, Owens pitched the idea to his class.
“The overwhelming response was that’s what they wanted to do,” he said. “They want to do things, they want to be involved, they want to make a difference.”
Jordan Howard talks about his Chop Slot cutting board, developed with Gavin Moore and Austin Billingsley, in the Student Life Center at Boyd-Buchanan School on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Kim Derrick, the after care director for the school, suffered a stroke that limited the movement in her left arm. Students in the engineering class worked to develop products to help her with everyday tasks.The first step in the project involved students going about their day only using their dominant arm. That gave them firsthand experience in what it’s like to be limited to one arm.