The next industrial revolution will be kicked off by 3D printing, and American students need to start learning about it now, suggests MakerBot, which is spearheading a campaign to put a 3D printer in every school. "The hope is it will bring design, prototyping and ingenuity back into the United States," said John Westrum, vice president of 3D printer maker Afinia
There's a campaign afoot to put a 3D printer in every school in America. MakerBot -- along with education crowdsourcer DonorsChoose.org, America Makes and Autodesk -- on Tuesday announced MakerBot Academy.
Individuals and businesses can contribute money to the initiative through DonorsChoose.org. The funds will be used to award MakerBot Academy bundles to teachers who register their schools at the site.
MakerBot Academy bundles consist of a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D printer, three spools of filament, and a year of service and support. MakerBot also will support teachers with the development of a 3D printing curriculum.
MakerBot Replicator 2
MakerBot Replicator 2
"As a former teacher, I believe strongly in creating a new model for innovation. A MakerBot is a manufacturing education in a box," said MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis.
"When you have a MakerBot Desktop 3D Printer, you see the world differently. Instead of waiting for someone to create a product for you, you can create your own," he observed. "It can change the whole paradigm of how our children will see innovation and manufacturing in America."
Next Industrial Revolution:
MakerBot Academy may offer a means to capture hearts and minds for 3D printing.
"By crowdsourcing the funding, it gets individual citizens to be able to participate in helping to get a 3D printer into classrooms cross the country," Dan Blum, director of partnerships for DonorsChoose.org, told TechNewsWorld.
The MakerBot initiative fits nicely into efforts by the Obama administration to improve the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the public schools, and to make America the leader of a next industrial revolution and bring manufacturing jobs back to the nation, he added.
"We are thrilled that MakerBot and America Makes are joining a growing coalition of citizens working to give American students the ability to design and make almost anything," said Tom Kalil, deputy director for technology and innovation for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
"As the president has said," he continued, "we all need to think creatively about giving our young people the tools to be 'the makers of things, and not just the consumers of things.'"
Bringing 3D printing to public schools is one possible way to build a foundation for skills needed to revive manufacturing in the U.S.
"The hope is it will bring design, prototyping and ingenuity back into the United States," John Westrum, vice president of 3D printer maker Afinia, told TechNewsWorld.
"Our future workforce has to be prepared for bringing jobs back into America," he added. "3D printing is a tangible way of bringing engineering into a science classroom."
There's a campaign afoot to put a 3D printer in every school in America. MakerBot -- along with education crowdsourcer DonorsChoose.org, America Makes and Autodesk -- on Tuesday announced MakerBot Academy.
Individuals and businesses can contribute money to the initiative through DonorsChoose.org. The funds will be used to award MakerBot Academy bundles to teachers who register their schools at the site.
MakerBot Academy bundles consist of a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D printer, three spools of filament, and a year of service and support. MakerBot also will support teachers with the development of a 3D printing curriculum.
MakerBot Replicator 2
MakerBot Replicator 2
"As a former teacher, I believe strongly in creating a new model for innovation. A MakerBot is a manufacturing education in a box," said MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis.
"When you have a MakerBot Desktop 3D Printer, you see the world differently. Instead of waiting for someone to create a product for you, you can create your own," he observed. "It can change the whole paradigm of how our children will see innovation and manufacturing in America."
Next Industrial Revolution:
MakerBot Academy may offer a means to capture hearts and minds for 3D printing.
"By crowdsourcing the funding, it gets individual citizens to be able to participate in helping to get a 3D printer into classrooms cross the country," Dan Blum, director of partnerships for DonorsChoose.org, told TechNewsWorld.
The MakerBot initiative fits nicely into efforts by the Obama administration to improve the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the public schools, and to make America the leader of a next industrial revolution and bring manufacturing jobs back to the nation, he added.
"We are thrilled that MakerBot and America Makes are joining a growing coalition of citizens working to give American students the ability to design and make almost anything," said Tom Kalil, deputy director for technology and innovation for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
"As the president has said," he continued, "we all need to think creatively about giving our young people the tools to be 'the makers of things, and not just the consumers of things.'"
Bringing 3D printing to public schools is one possible way to build a foundation for skills needed to revive manufacturing in the U.S.
"The hope is it will bring design, prototyping and ingenuity back into the United States," John Westrum, vice president of 3D printer maker Afinia, told TechNewsWorld.
"Our future workforce has to be prepared for bringing jobs back into America," he added. "3D printing is a tangible way of bringing engineering into a science classroom."
