The YouthQuest Foundation has awarded scholarships to two students who recently completed our 3D ThinkLink training.
Asia Baker-Stevenson from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy and LaMarcus Corley from Washington DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy earned $500 each for the essays they wrote about the personal impact of their 3D ThinkLink experience.
YouthQuest provides instruction in 3D design and printing at the ChalleNGe academies to help Cadets develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, explore their creativity and gain self-confidence.
LaMarcus and Asia finished the 22-week residential phase of the ChalleNGe program in June and are now in the year-long post-residential phase, during which they work with an adult mentor to continue on the path to reach their potential as successful adults. The scholarship money is to be used for continued education or vocational training.
“Before I started 3D printing I was very insecure about myself. I thought I would never be good at anything,” Asia said in her essay, adding that she struggled with using the computer and design software at first. But she learned from her mistakes and persevered, making step-by-step improvements with each new project.
“I’ve learned that starting something new is for a purpose and that purpose is to never give up or quit on yourself,” she wrote. “I may not be able to complete things on my own, but I shouldn’t be afraid of failure.”
LaMarcus Corley in our lab for Youth Mentor training
Like Asia, LaMarcus discovered that 3D ThinkLink changed his way of thinking. He said it helped him control his anger and improve his concentration.
“When I come to class, my whole mood changes,” LaMarcus explained. “I become happy because I know that I’m in a good place.”
LaMarcus also said in his essay that if he had a 3D printer of his own, he would start a business to make things like toys and parts for bikes and cars.
“The reason I would create these objects is because I know people are less fortune than others and it would let me give back to the community,” he wrote.
Now LaMarcus has the opportunity to give back by being a Youth Mentor. In June, he and three other top Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian trained for a week in our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab. They received 3D printers, design software and laptops to use in sharing their skills with others in their community, serving as positive role models.
New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, best known for his Jonathan Grave thriller series, reads all the essays submitted and picks the winners in our semi-annual scholarship competition.
These students from the 2017 spring class cycle earned $500 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.
By Asia Baker-Stevenson
Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
The YouthQuest 3D printing program has transformed my way of thinking and my way of life in many different ways. Before I started 3D printing I was very insecure about myself. I thought I would never be good at anything. I’ve always believed that I would be a failure in life and that I would never be able to make my mom smile. When I signed up for 3D printing I thought my creativity would never be able to process. But once I started trying and putting my mind towards it, I realized that 3D printing helps society look so much easier. I didn’t know that I would be able to make a house, car, a necklace, and my name from the use of a 3D printer.
The students from the University of Maryland help out the economy by reconstructing cells with the usage of 3D printing. I’ve learned that there are more things in 3D printing than just shapes and colors. I’ve learned that you can use a 3D printing to reconstruct bones, and cells in a biochemistry lab. They used a 3D printer in order to show others the size of a 3 month old’s heart, with the use of an incubator they were able to disinfect and prevent bacteria from forming on new-born cells.
While being at The Foundery I was able to see a blacksmith make a spear while using nothing but fire and a sledgehammer. I also saw a 3D printer that prints with the usage of lasers which to me was amazing.
When I first signed up for 3D printing I didn’t believe that I would be able to create a successful design. Everything to me seemed to be impossible. I struggled to work on the computer. The very first design I made was my name because I felt as though my design wasn’t worthy enough to be put out into the real world. I became frustrated with myself I wanted to give up because my peers’ designs looked better than mine. The outcome of my first design encouraged me to keep going and to move on to create bigger and better things that will later help people out in life.
Joining 3D printing has taught me to always achieve bigger and better things. It has also taught me to never give up on anything because the simplest mistake that I make could turn out to make my project much better. While being in 3D printing I’ve learned that starting something new is for a purpose and that purpose is to never give up or quit on yourself. I may not be able to complete things on my own but I shouldn’t be afraid of failure.
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By LaMarcus Corley
Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
I signed up for 3D printing and I did not get accepted the first time. I was very upset. I then talked to my case manager and she found a way to enter me into the class. My first day of 3D-printing was cool I learned a lot that I never knew before using a 3D printer. After my first day I decided that this was something that I would like to do because I am a creative person that likes to use my mind.
Now that I have more experience in the class and I know all the commands by heart for example, extrude means you can extend in the Z direction or be set to taper or follow a path. You can extrude an open or closed object to create 3D surface or solid. In my class, I learned how to make a clock, keychain, bookmark, ring, and a puzzle. I also made a clock for the Commanding General Walker. I also know how to change the filament on a 3D printer, load the cartridge, and level the print pad with the 3D plate attached to it.
If I had a 3D printer, I would start a business. I would create a toy company to be exact. I would create toys, fidget toys, parts for cars, and parts for bikes. The reason I would create these objects is because I know people are less fortune than others and it would let me give back to the community. My company would also be non-profit. All the money would come from my saved earnings. I would also create items for my family, and friends to show my knowledge of 3D printing and for myself.
3D printing has changed my life in many ways. It has helped me control my anger. It has also helped me control my ADHD. When I come to class my whole mood changes, I become happy because I know that I’m in a good place.
“As far as I’m concerned, this was the most successful immersion experience we’ve done,” said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks. “We were totally focused this time on how to use their skills to be mentors to young people in their families and neighborhoods, and how to work in the community to demonstrate what 3D design and printing is.”
The 3D ThinkLink Initiative uses instruction in 3D design and printing as a vehicle for teaching at-risk youth about critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and confidence. The Youth ChalleNGe Program, run by the National Guard, gives dropouts a second chance to get their lives back on track and earn a high school degree.
Advanced students work in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab
For teens who have struggled in school, the experience of learning something cool like 3D printing and teaching it to others does wonders for their self-esteem.
“Now I can do things to help people who were in my shoes,” said Freestate Cadet David Kelly, 16, from Baltimore.
During daylong sessions in the lab, our advanced students became thoroughly familiar with the setup, operation and troubleshooting of the M3D Micro 3D printers they’ll be using as mentors. They also worked with new types of materials they hadn’t used in their on-campus classes, such flexible and color-changing filaments.
For the first time, the students made designs to be built in the lab’s full-color powder bed printer, so they could experience a professional level of 3D printing.
Staying motivated all week was no problem for these students. After a full day in the lab, they would take their laptop computers back to their hotel rooms and work on designs until 9:00 or 10:00 at night, then come back the next morning eager to print their creations.
‘It’s Like Therapy’
All four cadets said being involved in our program benefited them in ways that go far beyond gaining technical skills. They described 3D ThinkLink class as a respite from the regimented life at their ChalleNGe academies, where they spent 5 ½ months away from home.
David Kelly holds a frame for a fidget spinner he 3D printed
David explained that he would get frustrated in other classes sometimes, but having the opportunity to use his imagination and design whatever he liked in 3D class every week always made him feel better.
“Making stuff calmed me down,” he said. “Whenever I make new things, I generally get happy. It lightens my mood.”
The same was true for Capital Guardian Cadet LaMarcus Corley.
“It has helped me control my anger,” the 17 year old from Washington, DC, wrote in a scholarship-winning essay about his 3D ThinkLink experience. “When I come to class, my whole mood changes. I become happy because I know that I’m in a good place.”
Adrian Vasquez uses Moment of Inspiration 3D design software
LaMarcus also said our class brought out the creativity he used to keep “all bottled in” and taught him how to “think about stuff differently.”
“It helped me with focusing more — paying attention to detail, getting everything right,” said Freestate Cadet Stephen Brown, 16, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. “It taught me to never give up and to focus on your goal.”
It also helped keep them out of trouble. All the cadets said they appreciated being chosen for the 3D ThinkLink program and enjoyed it so much that they wouldn’t risk being kicked out for misbehaving.
Before he enrolled at Capital Guardian, Cadet Adrian Vasquez said, he had problems in school.
“I would get good grades, but my mind would always be on something else. So I got caught up with stuff I wasn’t supposed to be around,” the 16-year-old from DC said. “But ever since I started 3D, my mind has been nowhere near that stuff.”
“It’s like therapy, a type of therapy. Working on 3D designs keeps me focused, not on the other nonsense stuff,” Adrian explained.
“And my mom is cheering me on,” he added. “She’s seen all the posts about us on Facebook and she’s never been so happy. She knows the rough times I had.”
Thinking Differently About the Future
The 3D ThinkLink experience opened these at-risk teens’ eyes to new opportunities and changed their view of what’s possible for them.
“I’ve never really been so confident about the things I’m doing,” said Adrian, who plans to become a master automotive technician.
Stephen Brown checks one of his designs printing on an M3D Micro
Stephen is aiming for a career as a fashion designer and entrepreneur. With 3D printing playing an ever-increasing role in the fashion industry, he realizes the value of the hands-on experience he gained in our classes.
“It really helped me think outside the box and I can use that to my advantage in the future,” he said. “As I pursue my career, the 3D printer will really help me print out prototypes of designs.”
Learning 3D printing gave LaMarcus a new perspective about his options after graduating from Capital Guardian and he’s looking forward to being a Youth Mentor.
“I know it changed me, so I want to make a change in people’s lives,” he said.
So does Adrian, who was reminded of the importance of giving back when he discovered how 3D-printed prosthetic devices help people who’ve lost limbs.
“I had a mindset thinking that this was just for me or for my family,” he explained. “It’s not always for yourself. You can always improve someone else’s life.”
LaMarcus Corley uses the lab’s full-color powder printer for the first time
The work these students do as Youth Mentors will support YouthQuest’s goal of reducing America’s dropout rate.
David hopes the children he reaches will share his excitement about 3D printing and decide to learn more about it.
“This isn’t easy stuff. There’s a bunch of math in it, so you really have to stay in school to understand this,” he said.
David added that he’s eager to inspire younger kids “because they’re going to be the future for us.”
“I understand I’m the future now, but they’re going to be the future for me.”
Trevon Ahl and Alycia Freeman, both 17, are among the 16 students who completed the latest cycle of the 3D design and printing course YouthQuest provides at the school for at-risk teens in Eastover, South Carolina.
YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann presented the $500 awards to the essay competition winners during SCYCA’s graduation ceremony on June 8.
Bestselling author John Gilstrap, whose latest novel in the Jonathan Grave thriller series is Friendly Fire, has judged the semi-annual contest since 2014.
“This year’s batch of essays featured two standouts for me, both because they focused not on what the writer got from their introduction to 3D printing, but rather on how they will put their knowledge to work for others,” he said.
SCYCA students at 3D Systems for Vocational Orientation
In his essay, Trevon described the excitement he felt the first time he used Moment of Inspiration design software to transform a flat shape into a 3D digital model that he could print.
He also recalled the Vocational Orientation trip his class took to 3D Systems headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he saw high-end printers that go far beyond the simple plastic-extrusion machines he learned to use in class. These professional 3D printers make objects from a variety of materials, including rubber, ceramics and metals.
“When I saw that, I was overall enthusiastic about this new wave of how to use machinery in everyday life that will help others in different ways,” Trevon wrote.
“If I had a 3D titanium printer for my personal use I would make bikes for all the children in my neighborhood,” he added “I’ve seen many kids in my community that walk everywhere and they would be grateful for a bike. I would even have them customize their own bicycle frame and then I`d print it out for them.”
Because he loves to fish, Trevon also said he wanted to 3D print a titanium fishing rod and “catch so many fish I would be able to share with the people in my community so we would all be able to enjoy a good fish fry.”
The $500 scholarship will help Trevon achieve his post-ChalleNGe goal of attending a technical college to earn a welding certificate. His fellow winner Alycia plans to study surgical technology at Savannah Technical College.
Hailey Key, Asia Grant and Alycia Freeman examine 3D printed objects during Vocational Orientation
“Alycia’s story was quite touching,” John Gilstrap said.
Her dad was doing drugs and her parents divorced when she was 13. She moved five times and skipped school often, spending most days caring for her ailing grandmother instead of going to class.
“I then started to follow in my father’s footsteps,” Alycia wrote. “About a year later, I knew I had to be successful. I didn’t want to be a product of my environment.”
That’s when she decided to enroll in SCYCA. Being in the 3D ThinkLink class helped Alycia get re-engaged in education.
Like Trevon, Alycia said the visit to 3D Systems showed her how she can use the technology she learned about in class for the benefit of others. She was inspired to see the many ways 3D printing is used in health care.
“Being that I took care of my grandmother, I want to help others live a better life in every way possible,” she explained. “3D printing encouraged me to become a surgical nurse. … I’m now motivated and determined to go to school and get into the medical field and actually complete it!”
These students from the 2016 fall class cycle earned $500 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.
By Trevon Ahl
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy
When I entered into the room with the other cadets for class and was seated we were then shown several hands-on videos that we followed along with our individual laptops. Secondly, we learned how to extrude a 3-dimensional object. Extrude means when you have an object that is flat on the plane (Moment of Inspiration). You can extrude the object and basically make it stand up. Just the sight of seeing a shape that was flat, then it stood up made me feel excited! I didn’t think that was going to happen when I began the lesson.
3D printing is important to me in many ways. If you love dogs like I do you can make multiple items for your dogs, such as dog tags, prosthetic legs, prosthetic tails, prosthetic ears, etc. Also, you can make varieties of telephone cases for the different types of phones that are out there.
When Mr. Johnson and Tom Meeks said to us as a class that ‘’3D printing is about turning 2D objects to 3D objects and printing them to a real life situation that can be useful to many people and/or different industries.’’ When our 3D printing class visited 3D Systems in Rock Hill, S.C. we learned that there are many different types of 3D printers. Some 3D printers print in porcelain, titanium, powder and plastic. Yes, I know what you are thinking: powder? The machine hardens the powder; then when you make your shape or objects it dips your shape into the super glue and become hardened into the shape that you are making.
3D is the new type of manufacturing. They even made a car frame that looked like a Lamborghini. The New Balance shoe company now has a pair of tennis shoes that the soles of them are made with 3D printing technology. When I saw that I was overall enthusiastic about this new wave of how to use machinery in everyday life that will help others in different ways!
If I had a 3D titanium printer for my personal use I would make bikes for all the children in my neighborhood. I’ve seen many kids in my community that walk everywhere and they would be grateful for a bike. I would even have them customize their own bicycle frame and then I`d print it out for them.
I would love to also make a titanium fishing rod because I love to fish. Once I catch so many fish I would be able to share with the people in my community so we would all be able to enjoy a good fish fry.
_________________________________________
By Alycia Freeman
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy
I’m Cadet Freeman from Beaufort, South Carolina. I grew up on St. Helena Island. My parents got divorced when I was 13 years old because my father was more interested in drugs than he was into having a relationship with my mother.
I got pulled out of school a lot and moved about 5 times. My grades started to plummet and I was told I wouldn’t be able to obtain my high school diploma. This was due to all the days that I had missed.
I began taking care of my grandmother who got sick and she had to have a knee replacement. My grandmother started back walking after surgery but still needed assistance. She passed away a couple months later due to other complications. I was still in school at the time but I only went about twice a week.
I then started to follow in my father’s footsteps. I no longer wanted to be around people. About a year later I knew I had to be successful. I didn’t want to be a product of my environment. I heard about SCYCA through a family member. I asked my mother did she think it was a good way to try and get my G.E.D. Her response was, “Absolutely!” She was very surprised and proud of my decision.
My way of thinking and mindset made a 360 degree turn while attending the program for these five months. I’m now motivated and determined to go to school and get into the medical field and actually complete it!
My favorite part that I thought was most interesting and cool was applying 3D technology to the field that I want to take up at Savannah Tech. I learned many things about 3D printing that I was not aware of. I found it interesting that tests on mice with 3D printed objects showed that there were no signs of cells dying in their tissues. I also learned at 3D Systems people who do additive manufacturing print organs, stem cells, bones and even surgical tools. I feel like every disabled person deserves to enjoy a normal life.
Being that I took care of my grandmother, I want to help others live a better life in every way possible. 3D printing encouraged me to become a surgical nurse. When I become a surgical nurse I will then be able to insert/place replacement bones, organs, etc. in different areas of the human body.
I also want to take my career further so that I can be an additive manufacturer. Not to mention other things I could create such as shoe soles, car parts, skeletal parts, foods, and models with different types and sizes of 3D printers. 3D printing will become even more popular in the future and I would like to advance my experience.
YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink project at the PHILLIPS School in Annandale, Virginia, is off to an impressive start.
Six students have completed our 3D design and printing course as part of the Career and Tech Education program at the school for special-needs children. YouthQuest provided the curriculum, equipment, software and teacher training.
Henry Spiegelblatt runs a 3D printer
“We’ve hit on something here that has great potential,” Piper Phillips Caswell, President and CEO of PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families, said during an event honoring the students on June 10.
YouthQuest and PHILLIPS teamed up early this year to launch the first 3D ThinkLink class specifically for high-school-age students with high-spectrum autism. Previously, YouthQuest’s signature STEM education program primarily served at-risk teens enrolled in National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies.
“It was mind-blowing to see something on the computer and then see it printed out on the 3D printer,” said PHILLIPS student Elijah Burton.
“It’s just really fun to design things,” added his classmate, Henry Spiegelblatt.
YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who developed the curriculum and trained the teachers, was “blown away” by the results of the pilot program at PHILLIPS.
Luke McHugh, left, and Adam Eldert work on a 3D design in Moment of Inspiration
“In four years of teaching 3D ThinkLink classes, I don’t think I’ve seen students create designs more complex than what I’ve seen here. I am super impressed,” he said.
“One of the reasons I enjoy coming to 3D printing is that I already have the ideas that I want to put down. I’ve always had these designs that I wanted to implement,” explained Adam Eldert, whose creations included a colorful spaceship. “However, until recently, I lacked the means and the resources to actually make them reality. Now, I possess both.”
Luke McHugh quickly mastered the Moment of Inspiration design software, using it as a tool for creative expression.
“I can exercise my ideas in a virtual environment where I can literally build them and then modify them without having to take the whole thing apart,” said Luke.
Adam Eldert’s spaceship design
Knowing how to use a 3D printer and serious CAD (computer-aided design) software such as Moment of Inspiration can be valuable for the students are they prepare to enter the working world. The PHILLIPS program is also designed to teach “soft job skills” such as problem solving.
The goal, as PHILLIPS Program Supervisor Lindsay Harris put it, is “to develop confidence as well as competence.”
With an emphasis on critical thinking, learning from mistakes and step-by-step improvement, our 3D ThinkLink training helps students achieve that goal.
Marcel Baynes, Tom Meeks, Jim Field and Sam Son at teacher training
“I’ve seen an increase in their resiliency. They’re not afraid to fail,” said Sam Son, lead teacher for the Designing Futures Program at PHILLIPS. “Whenever they do see the mistakes, they want to go back into the program – Moment of Inspiration – to make sure they find out exactly where it’s wrong and tweak it, because failure is not final and they want that final product to be exactly what they want.”
He described one student who had “always felt left out” because she was constantly being compared to her sister, who’s in gifted and talented classes.
“For her to actually be working with 3D printers and designers that people at the university are working with, it brings out a lot in her and the confidence has skyrocketed recently,” Sam said.
Much of the credit for this pilot project’s success goes to Sam and his fellow PHILLIPS instructors Jim Field and Marcel Baynes, who attended a week of training in YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in January and spent many more days in and out of class learning to use the 3D printers and software.
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Congratulations to the First 3D ThinkLink Class at the PHILLIPS School
Elijah Burton Adam Eldert Ida Kahsay Luke McHugh Deja Semper Henry Spiegelblatt
Eight young people who spent a week in our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab this month learned new skills and took part in hands-on research that will benefit other 3D printing enthusiasts.
“Not only did our students broaden their 3D design and printing experience by exploring the complexities of full-color 3D printing workflows, they provided valuable early feedback for the developers and manufacturers of two new 3D technologies,” said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks.
Amadou Abakar watches his 3D design take shape on a Cube 2 printer
They were selected for Lab Week because of their outstanding performance in the latest cycle of 3D ThinkLink classes at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies serving South Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia. YouthQuest provides the equipment, curriculum and training for the residential academies to help at-risk teens develop critical thinking and problem solving skills through 3D design and printing.
It was the largest group so far to receive 40 hours of advanced training in our Chantilly, Virginia, facility. Unlike the typical maker space, the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab is dedicated solely to 3D design, scanning and printing. It is a true laboratory environment designed to promote comparative analysis and develop creative solutions.
The students were the first to experience the lab’s new 3D scanning and printing capabilities, and the first to assemble a unique 3D printer kit.
Going With the Workflow
The week began with an introduction to Cubify Sculpt, a type of 3D design software the students had never tried.
John Smith uses Cubify Sculpt to design the head for a monster figurine
In their classes at school, they used Moment of Inspiration (MoI), a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) program that turns two-dimensional shapes into three-dimensional objects. Sculpt is an organic modeling program in which the students begin with a 3D object and modify it in all sorts of creative ways, as if digitally sculpting a piece of virtual clay.
Step-by-step, they worked their way through the process of designing simple objects such as personalized rings using MoI and Sculpt. Now that every lab workstation is equipped with a Cube 2 printer – thanks to a generous donation from our strategic partner, 3D Systems – it was easy for the students to run test prints so they could quickly evaluate and improve their designs.
“As I began making the images and creating stuff I started to realize that this is a game-changer. It was amazing to me because I never even worked with this type of material before,” said South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy (SCYCA) graduate John Smith. “It helped me realize my passion for art and my talent is there … and I can use it to help other people.”
Once they got a feel for organic modeling, the students took turns making 3D scans of each other and learned how Sculpt fits into the workflow of preparing the files for printing. Then they were able to create full-color mini-busts of themselves using the lab’s recently acquired Z450 powder bed printer.
Evaluating 3D Scanners
Amadou Abakar scans Nate Sydnor with a RealSense-equipped tablet
The students tested and evaluated two kinds of handheld 3D scanning devices: the 3D Systems Sense and an HP tablet with Intel’s RealSense technology.
They experimented with various scanning techniques and lighting conditions, then conducted a focus group with Tom to discuss their findings.
They found the tablet was easier to use than the Sense, which has no onboard monitor and must be connected to a computer by a cumbersome cable. However, they noted that both devices had trouble capturing images of dark-skinned people.
“Scanning can be aggravating when it messes up and you have to redo it, but it’s still really fun,” said SCYCA grad Emilee Bray.
“It’s cool to have a 3D figure of yourself,” she added. “Nobody I know has that kind of stuff!”
3D-printed busts made from scans of Kimora Felton, Nate Sydnor and Emiliee Bray
The group had several ideas for simplifying the workflow and suggested improvements in the RealSense software’s visual feedback to help users hold the tablet at the proper distance from subjects while scanning.
Their feedback is being shared with the leaders of the Sense for Intel RealSense application development team at 3D Systems.
Assembling 3D Printers
The JellyBox, from iMade3D, is a soon-to-be-released 3D printer kit designed specifically for educational use. Its innovative design makes it easy to put together and take apart so it can be used over and over to teach students how a 3D printer works.
The students paired up to do the first independent evaluation of the JellyBox assembly process. Members of the iMade3D team spent a full day in the lab watching them put together four printers.
Josh Nembhard and Kimora Felton assemble a JellyBox 3D printer kit
“It was fun. I mean, we messed up several times, but we still finished in a day,” said SCYCA’s Justin Lewis.
“And for every mistake, we learned from it,” added Amadou Abakar, from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy (CGYCA).
The students had a finished JellyBox to look at, but were given minimal instructions. At first, they all thought it would be difficult to assemble their kits, but the teams quickly gained confidence as they figured out how to put the pieces together.
Kimora Felton from SCYCA was so wrapped up in the project that when it was time for lunch, she didn’t want to stop working.
Emilee Bray and Osman Bah build a JellyBox
“I really love making stuff,” she explained. “When something really interests me, I go straight for it.”
“I was really impressed and I loved the energy and the attention the students devoted to the project,” said Filip Goc, the JellyBox’s primary designer, noting that their feedback will be invaluable in perfecting the design and refining the assembly instructions before the product goes on the market.
Osman Bah from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy called the experience “amazing.” He said he’d never expected to meet an inventor like Filip and “see how his mind works.”
“The advice he gave me was to just follow the steps and put your mind to it,” Osman recalled.
“A Life-Changing Experience”
A week of immersion training in our lab taught the students some lessons in life, along with advanced 3D skills.
“I learned how to work with people that I don’t know. I usually don’t like doing that,” said Emilee, who teamed up with Osman to build a JellyBox. “It was interesting getting to know someone while working on a project with them.”
The teams show off their JellyBox 3D printers
She discovered that even though they’re from different states and have “a different perspective on everything,” they could put their minds together.
“It did get aggravating at times, but we still worked through it and we still made it,” she said.
“I was proud of us because we worked hard on that thing. We never quit,” added Emilee, who went directly from Lab Week to South Carolina’s Aiken Technical College – the next step in her plan to become a nurse anesthetist.
John, who impressed everyone in the lab with his design talents described our 3D ThinkLink training as “a life-changing experience” that’s given him new skills and tools to help him pursue a career in art.
(l-r) Justin, John, Osman, Nate and Josh compare 3D scanner features
“Being involved in 3D ThinkLink makes me think about the different opportunities I have. Being here gives you a better chance of going somewhere, for example, college or getting a job,” agreed Josh Nembhard, a Freestate grad who plans to study visual design.
Nate Sydnor from CGYCA also said the experience fueled his passion for art by helping him see things in different ways. In addition, he found it rewarding to participate in the scanning and JellyBox research.
“I can look back on this and say I accomplished something great because we are a part of history. We’re making history,” Nate said.
“I’m involved in something that’s going to impact a lot of people in the future. It makes me feel inspired and motivated,” Osman added.
Amadou, who aspires to be an electrical engineer, recalled that on the first day of Lab Week, the students talked about the aphorism that a koi fish grows bigger when it swims in a larger pond.
“This has been a really big pond for us to grow and learn and develop,” he said. “And this is really important because this isn’t something we’re going to leave here. It’s something we can take with us wherever we go.”
