Contributed by ACS
Auburn City Schools recently participated in the GE Additive Education Program, a grant program funded by General Electric to increase the equity and access of 3D printing.
By enabling access to polymer 3D printers in all 13 schools, this effort will help accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing and prototyping within Auburn City Schools, preparing students for the future.
GE has also provided the school system access to www.polar3d.com, a cloud-based platform equipped with lessons and designs, training for proper management of the printers and even the opportunity to create fundraisers for printed items.
The comprehensive bundles are designed for easy integration into the classroom and lessons are digestible for teachers as well as students who may not be well acquainted with the technology.
“We are excited about this because now a student can experience 3D printing at all grade levels in ACS,” said Drew Morgan, coordinator of secondary curriculum and professional development. “Doing so will boost STEM experiences for students K-12 and increase the number of students who could potentially enter STEM careers. We are very grateful to GE for partnering with ACS, and we look forward to utilizing all the applications these printers offer.”
Morgan added that schools could also potentially have “make sales” where the community could purchase items designed and printed by students.
GE’s Additive Education Program launched in 2017 to provide 3D printing solutions and educational curriculum to schools across the world. As part of the initiative, GE Additive pledged $10 million over five years to deliver polymer 3D printers to primary and secondary schools.