SEBRING, Ohio -  Sixth-grade students at BL Miller Elementary in Sebring are using creativity and technology to help a baby chick born with a broken leg. The chick, discovered struggling in the hallway near the sixth-grade classrooms, quickly became the focus of a rescue effort.

Mrs. Naples' sixth-grade class had recently completed a brace-making project using 3D printers as part of the school's "Project Lead the Way" program. They applied that experience to build a small leg brace for the chick, named tiny.

Students created and tested several versions of the brace using a 3D printer to find the best fit for Tiny. 

Sebring B.L. Miller Elementary Principal, Nichole Hanley remarks, "This is a full circle learning experience for our students. They are applying a previous lesson to create a real-world solution. Plus, they are helping a chick and fellow classmates. It has been rewarding to see students excited about what they are learning."

A photo from the project shows Hanley assisting sixth-grader Landon Loan with one of the brace prototypes