Norwich City School District took it upon themselves to do their part and help healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic by producing face shield parts. 

Norwich High School Principal Kisten Giglio and Technology Teacher Chris Klatts worked together to produce the items on the school's 3D printer. They received the templates for the face shields for free through Budmen Industries in Liverpool, NY. 

"The building might be closed but we're still working," said Giglio. "We're still trying to make good things happen for people around us because people need to hear and see that these days."

They have produced about 20 of the brim parts for the face shields so far. 

Norwich High School's production of the pieces is part of a larger effort to face the pandemic. The printed parts are then sent to American High in Syracuse, a film studio that turned into a production space for these face shields. 

American High is planning to fill the needs of Onondaga County and surrounding areas. They are receiving requests for face shields from all over including Sloan Kettering and Elmhurst Hospitals in New York City.

On American High's website, it states: "The only way we can service these requests, and the ones that will soon be coming from states and countries all over, is by having other leaders step up to replicate what we’ve done."

Every Saturday, Giglio plans on delivering the pieces of the shields to American high to be assembled and packaged. 

Klatts says the project is personal to him through people he's known working the frontlines during the pandemic. 

"I've worked with a lot of nurses going through college and also I have a lot of former students that became nurses," said Klatts. 

Giglio thinks it's important to show kindness during this time no matter what. 

"Whether that's checking on your neighbor, making face shields, putting a rainbow in your window, putting a teddy bear in your window...the world needs a lot of kindness right now," said Giglio. 

If you are interested in producing face shields or you are a healthcare professional looking to request face shields, you can visit https://americanhigh.com/masks/. 

People can donate to the cause through the Budmen Industries and Syracuse Studio's GoFundMe.