Faced with a startling statistic that workers who have to stand for prolonged hours throughout the day are twice as likely to suffer heart disease, two students – Colin McBride and Elijah Riojas – from Frisco ISD’s Career and Technical Education Center decided to construct a solution to this problem. They used everyday objects to make this simple, yet effective standing stool.
PVC Fittings Online had the privilege of supporting these young students in their hands-on learning experience by providing PVC pipe materials. We’re proud of the result of their hard work, and we wanted to share it with our community to inspire more brilliant ideas. Below you will find the details of McBride and Riojas’s school project.
Supporting Frisco ISD’s CTE Center
Frisco ISD offers learning spaces and equipment for students in grades nine through twelve in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. This hands-on, advanced learning experience supplements their core education. Creating an environment of creativity and innovation, the CTE Center allows students to explore all possibilities by offering classes in engineering, information technology, agriculture and construction, health science, and more.
Because of Frisco ISD’s educational programs, high school students like McBride and Riojas are able to learn beyond a classroom setting. They’re being well-equipped for any real-world problems they may face as they enter the workforce.
Collapsible Seat for Prolonged Standing
In their engineering class at the CTE Center, McBride and Riojas were on a mission to help relieve the back, leg, and feet pains of industrial, food service, retail, and banking workers. They designed a standing chair that extends and collapses with a twisting mechanism so the chair can be adjusted to the user’s height. It is even outfitted with a cushioned seat for extra comfort.
After surveying dozens of employees in a number of industries (such as Food, Retail, Medical, Automotive, Janitorial, and Educational) and conducting research into the products and patents already existing for standing and wearable chairs, CTE’s students designed a standing stool using PVC piping, wood, foam, spray paint, and cloth fabric. Their prototype stood up to all of their stress tests and was well-received by their fellow students.
Crafting Change from Everyday Objects
We’re proud of the work McBride and Riojas put into coming up with a solution to the health crisis facing many Americans due to prolonged standing hours. Their passion for change and attention to detail shows that with enough thought, planning, and hard work, any one of us can create something that can change the world. It doesn’t take much – just a few simple supplies like PVC piping, foam, fabric, and a strong imagination – and anything is possible.
Here at PVC Fittings Online we want to foster this creativity in all students. We believe everyone is capable of anything they put their mind to. If you’re a student, teacher, or parent and have a project you want to discuss, fill out our project form here. We hope to help you with your next great idea!