By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Chris Balthis, an engineering teacher at the Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC), has partnered with a group of career and technical education teachers from throughout the Roanoke Valley to make face shield masks for first responders to use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, 300 masks will be donated to Carillion Clinic for use by nurses and doctors. The masks meet medical specifications and the transparency film will allow the masks to be reusable.
The 3D printers at the BTEC lab are responsible for the development of the masks. The design file for the masks came from the National Institutes of Health. Currently, 18 masks are being produced each day.
“Chris, thank you for helping us become even better human beings. Keep up the great work,” Superintendent of Botetourt County Public Schools Dr. Lisa Chen said. “Together, we will become stronger and even more united as one team and one Botetourt.”
