Waukee APEX Students Modify Toys for Blank Children’s Hospital Clinics
High school students in the Waukee APEX Engineering Technology & Robotics course are modifying toys to better meet the needs of children at Blank Children’s Hospital clinics. APEX student associates Nikhil Vaduguri and Jack Lau explain the process, while course instructor Tyler Wright discusses how projects like this prepare students for future careers.
Switching Toys
The project started with a discovery meeting with healthcare providers to understand the specific needs of the children. Based on their findings, students launched a Districtwide toy drive to collect items for modification.
After the toy drive, the hands-on work began. “We started working on the toys and switching them,” Jack says.
Instructor Tyler Wright adds, “Simply stated, switching toys just means hot-wiring the circuit to bypass the small buttons so we can plug in a larger button that’s easier for someone to push.”
The modified toys now include a headphone jack, allowing a larger, more accessible button to control them.
“Once we’re done switching the toys, we will take them and give them to the occupational therapists at one of the Blank Children’s Hospital Clinics,” Nikhil adds.
The toys will rotate through several clinics giving children across the Des Moines metro area the chance to play.
Learning New Skills
While the course teaches technical engineering skills, a primary focus is on building professional skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability.
“They’re learning those skills through serving a client, running a discovery meeting, seeking and responding to feedback from that client, and delivering a product,” Wright explains.
Making An Impact
In recent years, Wright explains that he’s shifted from having students work with local businesses to working almost solely with area non-profits.
“Non-profit organizations might not have access to resources or funding or access to highly skilled technical labor that they might need to accomplish some of their tasks. We can add a huge value to these organizations by offering free, but high-quality technical work,” Wright says.
Nikhil adds, “This project is a new experience for me. I get to learn skills all while making a difference in my community.”
By adapting toys for children with motor skill deficits, APEX students are showing how education, innovation, and compassion can come together to make a meaningful difference.
