“Cash in your pocket” is a best practice in EAST, encouraging students and facilitators to use resources and connections they already have to create projects and see them through.

For the last two years, students from International Studies Magnet School in Jonesboro have partnered with Encompass Health to support the organization’s mission of rehabilitating patients who have suffered serious injuries and illnesses.

The connection came easily. EAST student Langley Martin’s mother works at the facility and welcomed the chance to involve her daughter’s team of problem-solvers.

“At first we just wanted to make tools to help people recover in the hospital,” said teammate Kaybrielle Jones. “But then they suggested the idea of us creating wheelchair brake extenders because some patients can’t reach down far enough to grip the brake.”

As the collaboration expanded, so did the student team. Elliot Gramling joined to apply his skills in 3D design and printing, working with classmate Ben Bettis to develop a prototype.

“We used TinkerCAD, which is great for beginners, and a slicer called Flash Print 5,” Gramling said. “We had to try a bunch of designs because the main challenge was cutting a hole that fit the wheelchair brake. We finally got it to fit after, like, 30 tries.”

While some students focused on the brake extender, Ariel Quattlebaum worked with Langley and Kaybrielle on another project: creating exercise videos for rehabilitation patients.

Guided by Langley’s mother, the students recorded themselves performing common workouts used in recovery and uploaded the videos to the program’s YouTube channel, making them accessible both inside and outside the facility.

These projects reflect the journey of EAST students throughout a school year. By tapping into their connections and asking what problems can be solved, they uncover meaningful, real-world projects that teach new skills and open the door to future opportunities with community partners.