PlasticsInTheCommunity

urbell Plastics, Inc. made a small but important donation to a big project. There was just one challenge: the donation was for clear acrylic sheet during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Deitchman, then a Life Scout, needed to fulfill the Eagle Scout Service Project requirement to apply for Eagle Rank, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). “This project signified that I learned to be a leader and worked well with other people, while also doing something to help the community in a fun and interesting way,” Deitchman explained. Interested in STEM, he approached the director of the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta to ask if his Eagle Scout Project could serve the center in some capacity, to which the answer was yes.

Jonathan Deitchman proudly showcases his completed Mission to M.A.R.S. Eagle Scout Service Project, now on permanent display at SUNY Oneonta’s A.J. Read Science Discovery Center.

The project, Mission to Modeling an Astronomical Rover Simulation (M.A.R.S.), is an 8′ x 10′ representation of a Martian landscape. The display serves as a visual and physical sensory experience for young children and acts as home base to a fully functional Mars Rover slated to be developed by another team. “There was a lot of research and development involved,” Deitchman shared. “We had to do a lot of experimentation. For example, how to get the landscape to look like Mars using foam insulation board, CelluClay®, KidKrete and paint. We had to test which ratios of ingredients and colors looked best and would be durable enough for a rover and younger kids touching it.” Understanding part of the display would need to be safeguarded to preserve its appearance and functionality, Deitchman specified acrylic sheet as a durable yet transparent shield. However, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was almost impossible to find material in the right size.

It was then Curbell Plastics Syracuse Inside Sales Manager Pat Silkey learned about the project. Due to the high demand of large acrylic sheets used as social distance barriers, transparent material options were limited, but that didn’t stop Silkey from trying his best to meet Deitchman’s specifications. Christy Deitchman, Jonathan’s mother, recalled Silkey’s attention to the durability requirements and the safety of those who would be around the acrylic sheet. “There was a lot of communication back and forth regarding ‘will this size work?’ or ‘how about this thickness?’ to understand what would be solid enough to withstand younger children pushing on it.” Silkey delivered the cut-to-size acrylic display shields in person (masked up, of course). “We were blown away by that,” Jonathan’s father, Dr. Jay Deitchman, added, “it meant a lot to us. He was so happy to help.”

After two years and a total of 530.75 recorded project hours, the Mission to M.A.R.S. Eagle Scout Service Project was officially completed and dedicated as the A. J. Read Science Discovery Center’s first permanent display in May of 2021. “I am proud of the work I put into this project and of all the volunteers and companies that helped out, including Curbell Plastics and Mr. Silkey,” Jonathan Deitchman said as he reflected on the long, research-intensive and pandemic-interrupted process. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Congratulations to Jonathan Deitchman who, on July 4, 2021, received his official paperwork as a recognized Eagle Scout with the BSA.