Creative Challenge in 3D printing - Please Read

[Yvonne Shortt]

Creative Challenge in 3D Printing. I Need Your Help!

Five years ago I volunteered to become a First Lego League coach at my daughter’s elementary school. That was my first foray into working with kids who were not my own. Two years ago, I started learning about 3D printers and saw a world of possibilities. When my daughter started using the printer for fun and school projects in Latin and Science, I knew this would be a perfect technology to introduce to kids. 

Our nonprofit organization, The Rego Park Green Alliance, taught 3D design to elementary and middle school students all over Queens through a program with the Queens Public Library, nonprofits, and after school centers.  The Rego Park Green Alliance taught over 500 kids, but I wanted more students to learn in less time.  In September, I started approaching principals, afterschool organizations, and community organizations to create a pilot program CC3DP (Creative Challenge in 3D Printing) whereby students would learn about 3D design & printing with the help of teachers armed with knowledge of these technologies. 

Each school was given a coach’s guide, one-on-one help, and a site visit to help them with the challenge. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the teachers & students, over 80 students are participating in the challenge, over 200 students have had the opportunity to learn 3D design, and over 800 have had exposure to 3D design and printing technologies. The challenge and educational expo are a result of the hard work of the students, teachers, principals, administration, & staff.

 

The culminating event for the Creative Challenge in 3D printing pilot is Sunday, May 4th. We want you to come and see the exciting possibilities for 3D printing. See the designs, the teams, the technology. Our goal is to grow the program all over NYC in the coming years.  To do this we would like to invite parents, principals, students, after school teachers & directors to our event on May 4th.  If you know people like this, please forward our invite. 

Seeing the kids designs materialize before my eyes has turned this project into a real labor of love. Please help spread the word.

Thank you

Yvonne Shortt

Rego Park Green Alliance

www.regoparkgreenalliance.org / www.cc3dp.org

43-01 22nd Street, Suite 205

LIC, NY 11101

347.201.2186 (office)

917.597.3089 (cell)