The Learning Lab at the New Media Gallery is teaming up with a Delta-based company to produce face shields for health workers.
New West clean-tech investor, philanthropist and resident Jennifer Thompson provided a donation that allows the Learning Lab to join with Tinkerine to make face shields for health workers. The donation will allow for the addition of five new 3-D printers in the Learning Lab at Anvil Centre.
“This is the gift that keeps on giving,” said Gordon Duggan, director of the New Media Gallery and Learning Lab. “Not only will these printers immediately assist our health-care workers, but they will continue to support educational programming for years to come.”
A press release from the city said the new 3-D printers will become a valuable part of the Learning Lab when public programs resume at the New Media Gallery.
“A sincere thank-you to Jennifer Thompson for supporting this initiative,” Mayor Jonathan Cote said in a press release. “This donation and the partnership with Tinkerine, is an example of everyone coming together to help during COVID-19.”
According to the press release, Tinkerine, which designs and manufactures 3-D printers, repurposed its manufacturing in the third week of March to produce much-needed face shields for health workers across the country.
“Tinkerine has coordinated production of face shields to include 3-D printers that would otherwise remain idle during the pandemic. Universities, private institutions and K to (Grade) 9 schools are working together to produce 20,000 face shields a week,” said the press release. “With this donation, the Learning Lab will be able to produce components for 1,440 face shields per week. After the parts are printed at the Learning Lab they are sent to Tinkerine for sterilization and final assembly.”
The New Media Gallery, which is temporarily closed because of COVID-19, presents exhibitions featuring new media art from around the world, as well as workshops, artist talks, performances and events. The Learning Lab is an arts and tech programming space run by the city.
“Workshops at New Media Gallery Learning Lab support early learners to advanced creators,” states the gallery’s website. “The Learning Lab at the Anvil Centre is state-of-the-art, and we provide a plethora of 3-D design, A/V, coding and more for creative, artists and makers.”
The Learning Lab’s educational programs aim to bring the arts back into play with science, technology, math and engineering.
“We do this through STEAM-based programming; an integrated approach to education. Understanding technology in a creative way; with imagination, ingenuity and understanding is vital in today’s world,” said the website. “Integrating the sciences with the arts helps kids with critical and ethical thinking and creative problem solving and it allows them to learn though play.”
More information about the Learning Lab can be found at newmediagallery.ca or on the New Media Gallery’s Facebook page.
