Tom Morgan’s workshop was abuzz with activity throughout the month of April as The Kids’ Project adaptive equipment volunteer welcomed five University of New England Occupational Therapy students for a unique service learning project.

Their task: to build a piece of wooden adaptive equipment from start to finish.  Sarah Cooke and her partner built a corner sitter and adjustable tray.

“The whole project took us about 6 weeks, going into the woodshop about once a week for a full day,” said Cooke.  “I chose to make the corner seat with an adjustable tray because I have seen many children use both pieces of equipment and benefit from them. I wanted to actually see the time and workload that went into building each piece.”

The process gave Sarah and her fellow students a better understanding of how
wooden adaptive equipment is designed and constructed which will benefit them as they move into Occupational Therapy careers. 

”I have been able to see how much effort and precise piecing together it takes to build one piece of equipment,” said Cooke.  “Each piece starts off as a regularly piece of plywood and is then slowly turned into smooth, sanded, finished object to be used by people who really need them. Making these pieces of adaptive equipment helped me move into my career as an OT because I can now appreciate the amount of effort that goes into simple objects, but also realize how to create specific equipment with the right knowledge and experience.”  

The students benefitted from spending time with Morgan, a veteran woodworker and long-time volunteer for The Kids’ Project.  His love for woodworking and the volunteer work he does was contagious.

“It is obvious he loves what he does and how his long hours are helping those who truly benefit from his handy work,” said Cooke.  “We shared many laughs and insightful discussions about occupational therapy, our backgrounds and Tom's history while working on our equipment.”

As for Cooke’s future, she plans to receive her Master’s Degree in 2010 and then she wants to “continue to work with people to help them gain independence.”