Anne Arundel County's largest private employer celebrated the state's manufacturing industry this past week with a program that gave Maryland students a chance to help other children in need with a unique gift: prosthetic hands.

At Northrop Grumman Missions Systems in Linthicum, about 20 students from Patterson High School and the National Academy Foundation in Baltimore spent about two hours assembling the prosthetic hands. Company engineers advised the students during the project.

Gov. Larry Hogan declared October as Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

The state is home to 3,600 manufacturing companies that employ more than 100,000 workers.

Devin Canaday, a project manager for Northrop Grumman, said that by creating prosthetic hands, students were able to understand that manufacturers and engineers can help better people's lives.

He added providing students with real-life examples of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — is important in helping them understand their career options.

“Today shows the importance” of the STEM program, he said. “We're able to expand the minds of kids and what they thought was possible.”

Northrop Grumman's campus next to BWI Marshall Airport is one of 12 company locations that produce the prosthetic hands.

Students were supplied with the parts for the hand, an instruction manual, a screwdriver, scissors and glue. The engineers took different approaches when working with the students. Some let the students guide the project; others worked step by step.

While assembling the parts might look simple, it can be a complicated process, said Travis Clark, a manufacturing engineer.

About halfway into the project, his team was figuring out the best way to tie strings that would move the fingers.

“This is not like tying a shoelace,” said Kelphon Avery-Nesbit, a junior at National Academy Foundation.

At one table, National Academy Foundation junior Jordan worked on assembling the hand's wrist. He said he had not thought about becoming an engineer, but enjoys science and math — except algebra.

He didn't think the hand assembly was too complicated; it reminded him of playing with Legos.

“I like when you put things together and it comes out really nice,” he said.

Technical data engineer E-Otree Allen, who writes text for instruction manuals, advised the students under her watch to lay out all the pieces and analyze directions.

As her students checked all the pieces they had, she looked on with a smile.

The event was “much bigger” than assembling the prosthetic hands, she said. Exposing students to the world of manufacturing allows them to see a possible career for themselves, she said.

Allen said the day resonated with her because she saw herself in the students.

“Someone volunteered for me and gave me a chance,” she said.

Clark said he likes to volunteer with young students as much as possible.

“For a lot of years in this country, manufacturing got away from us. It went overseas,” Clark said. “I think it's important for us to give our kids this experience and show that there's ample opportunity.”