A new year for the GoBabyGo! program brought back three Edgewood Middle School students to participate in the program a second time and heading a team, as well as a student helping to modify a Jeep for his brother.
This is the sixth year where Edgewood Middle School students are taking part in the GoBabyGo! program, which kicked off Thursday.
During GoBabyGo!, 12-volt vehicles will be modified for toddlers that have developmental disabilities. Each car is represented by a group of students with engineers from the community. Students are collaborating with the engineers, redesigning and rebuilding the Jeeps.
Joe’s Kids and the Warsaw Community Schools Special Services Department recommends the toddlers to the program, Project Lead The Way teacher Abbi Richcreek said.
Sixteen EMS seventh- and eighth-grade students will work in teams with 15 mentors from Dalton, Grace College, DePuy and Paragon Medical. The teams work on the Jeeps during two-hour sessions over five or six meetings.
The design might have to be reconfigured at that point.
During the modification process, the teams take into consideration what issues there are with the toddler, whether it be a mobility issue or something else, and modify the Jeep accordingly.
Richcreek said the goal of the program is for each toddler to become independent. The toddlers’ families are involved and are interviewed to see what they need in the Jeep design so students and mentors can tailor the Jeep to the toddler’s abilities and personality.
When the five Jeeps are given to the toddlers at Third Friday May 17, a total of 27 will have been modified over the six years of the program, Richcreek said.
She said while three Edgewood students came back a second time to participate in the program, there was one student, Sadie Allmon, whose sibling, Sylas, had a Jeep modified last year and Braeden Foster is helping to modify brother Cole’s Jeep this year.
Parent Krista Foster said she thought the program is great. Parent Gavin Foster said he hopes the program gives son Cole some mobility.
Braeden said he thinks it’s really interesting the Jeeps can be modified to meet the toddlers’ needs.
Fisher Whitaker is one of the students who came back a second year to participate in the GoBabyGo! program. He said he liked helping the toddlers because they can move more and it brings them joy.
Whitaker said, last year, he was able to take things apart and add things to the Jeep. His goals for this year includes making sure Cole has a smile on his face.
Student Ethan Paul said this is his first year participating in the GoBabyGo! program. He said he got involved in the program because he likes Jeeps and had one when he was younger. He also wants to help kids learn to drive and get around. He hopes to learn how difficult it is to be someone who can’t move their legs or hands.
Student Brodie Biggs said he thought it would be interesting to try to modify something and make it usable for someone with disabilities because his brother has disabilities. He hopes to learn how to get the Jeep to work for someone who can’t use it as well as someone else can.
Student Ellie Zollinger said he’s seen with people with disabilities and issues and when he got an opportunity with the GoBabyGo! program, he wanted to help out. He hopes to learn how to help others and how to accommodate for others and modifying for others who need it.