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
Vocational Orientation is an important part of YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink training because it shows students some of the ways they can use the skills they’re learning in class.
In April, 3D ThinkLink students from Maryland’s Freestate, the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academies visited businesses and universities to:
Deepen their understanding of 3D printing technology;
Learn about career opportunities in related fields;
Meet people who use 3D design and printing in their occupations;
See teamwork, creative thinking and problem solving in action.
At the Rock Hill, S.C., headquarters of our 3D ThinkLink Strategic Partner, 3D Systems, the South Carolina cadets learned about 3D printing’s explosive growth in areas ranging from medicine, automotive and aerospace engineering to fashion and entertainment. Director of Corporate Communications Tim Miller led a tour showing the full line of 3D Systems products and explaining the special applications for each machine. The students, who have only simple, desktop plastic-extrusion 3D printers in their classrooms, were amazed by the variety of printing methods and materials available.
Duncan-Parnell’s Camren Summerlin shows students a 3D printer
The SCYCA students began their Vocational Orientation Day with a visit to a business that uses many 3D Systems products in its work with civil engineering clients, Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte, N.C. The staff showed them some of the latest 3D printers and talked about jobs available for operators who have the skills to produce high-quality 3D models. Applications Engineer Camren Summerlin also encouraged the students to consider repairing and maintaining 3D printers as a career.
The day wrapped up in Columbia with a tour of the University of South Carolina’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. Graduate Director Dr. David Rocheleau explained how mechanical engineers “make things and break things” – analyzing the strengths and weakness of materials in research to create better, safer products. In addition to 3D printers, the students saw engineering tools such as a wind tunnel, a century-old milling machine and a huge device that can cut through practically anything using a high-pressure stream of water.
UMD grad student Bao Nguyen explains how this 3D-printed scaffold is used to create a hip bone replacement.
The Maryland and DC students learned about 3D printing’s role in a very different kind of engineering during their visit to the University of Maryland in College Park. They met Laurie Bracaglia, Charlotte Piard, Bao Nguyen and other graduate students in the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab who are developing innovations such as human bone replacements. The researchers use 3D printing to build delicate forms around which bone cells will grow. The cadets took part in hands-on demonstrations of an emerging technology that would have seemed like science fiction not so long ago.
Our students also discovered how 3D printing fits into the invention process when they toured Prototype Productions, Inc., in Ashburn, VA, another 3D ThinkLink Strategic Partner. Chief Operating Officer Italo Travez and his staff explained that everyone at PPI – designers, engineers and machine operators – share ideas and work together to find innovative solutions to customers’ needs.
PPI’s Italo Travez demonstrates some of the products his company developed
Mr. Travez, who emigrated from Ecuador with his family when he was a child, also shared personal stories about what drove him to become a mechanical engineer and how he and his brother, Joe, built their small family business into a state-of-the-art prototyping operation that has developed hundreds of products.
There was even a side-order of innovation during a lunch break at Topgolf Loudoun in Ashburn. Director of Sales Cassandra Taylor led a tour of the facility that puts a high-tech spin on the traditional driving range. Players hit golf balls embedded with RFID (radio frequency identification) chips into targets equipped with sensors that read the chips and send the scoring data back to the players. Although most of the cadets had never touched a golf club, they had fun giving Topgolf a try.
The at-risk teens in our 3D ThinkLink classes typically have a narrow view of the world and their place in it. Many have never been to a high-tech workshop or a major university campus. These Vocational Orientation events help open students’ eyes to what’s possible for them as they plan their next steps into adulthood.
Three young women who earned scholarships in YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink essay competition are taking the next steps toward their career goals.
Emilee Bray, Kimora Felton and Kathaleen Polanco each won $500 for writing about their experiences in our 3D design and printing classes at South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.
After graduating from SCYCA in December, Kathaleen started the new year by enrolling in South Carolina’s Aiken Technical College while Emilee and Kimora traveled to Chantilly, Virginia for a week of advanced training in YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab.
Kathaleen Polanco at 3D Systems in Rock Hill, South Carolina for Vocational Orientation
“Before South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, I was a mess,” Kathaleen confessed.
Her young life took a dramatic turn last April when she was shot while partying with friends. By year’s end, she had completed the 22-week residential program at SCYCA, which included our 3D ThinkLink training.
In her essay, she described 3D class as “an escape … where I can be in my own little place, a place where I can design any and everything.”
Kathaleen gave credit to our Director of Instruction, Tom Meeks, for encouraging her to continue her education.
Emilee Bray designs a ring during 3D ThinkLink Immersion Lab Week
“Tom inspired me to be a better me and never give up no matter how hard life gets,” wrote Kathaleen, who is studying computer networking.
Emilee joined Kathaleen at Aiken Tech immediately after the week of immersion training in our lab. She plans to graduate in May with CNA (certified nursing assistant), electrocardiogram and phlebotomy certificates. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse anesthetist.
“3D printing is starting to get popular now, especially in the nursing field,” Emilee explained. “If I were to tell them that I went through this kind of program, there’s no doubt that I would get that job!”
Besides strengthening her resume, the 3D ThinkLink experience taught her how to think through problems and overcome obstacles.
“It’s not just in 3D printing that you learn from your mistakes. It’s in life that you learn from your mistakes,” said Emilee.
Kimora agreed that our classes helped her learn to think in new ways.
Kimora Felton sets up a 3D printer in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab
“Before getting involved with 3D printing, my mind was scattered,” she recalled in her essay. “Trying to relieve anger and finding ways to express myself, I’d do things that made me act out of character, which led me to think I wasn’t worth anything at all.”
Kimora said 3D ThinkLink gave her a new way to express herself and boosted her self-esteem.
Like Emilee, she hopes to use her 3D skills on the job. Kimora, who wants to be a veterinarian, is enrolled in the Veterinary Assistant program at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Conway, South Carolina.
She was inspired by the video she watched in class about Derby, a dog born with deformed front legs who is able to walk thanks to 3D-printed prosthetic legs.
“Involving 3D printing into this field will give deformed, damaged or diseased animals that are on the verge of being euthanized a second chance,” Kimora wrote in her scholarship-winning essay.
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.”
Santa just made an early delivery to The YouthQuest Foundation. A sleighload of Cube 2 3D printers has arrived from 3D Systems.
“We are so very grateful to 3D Systems for their generosity and continued support of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative. They resonate with our educational goal to provide critical thinking and problem solving skills to America’s at-risk youth, particularly high school dropouts,” said YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann. “3D Systems products are the heart of our program, and this generous donation allows us to expand our initiative to more youth who are working to turn their lives around.”
Students work with a Cube 2 printer in class at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
“This also gives us the resources to launch a pilot program in 2016 that will provide training for young adults with high-spectrum autism, and we are very excited about the possibilities in the new year,” she added.
The 3D ThinkLink Initiative uses instruction in 3D design and printing as a tool to teach at-risk youth critical thinking and problem solving skills, and to stimulate interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
The Cube 2 is a basic, easy-to-use printer that’s been a workhorse in the 3D ThinkLink Initiative ever since the project began in 2013. So far, YouthQuest has taught nearly 200 young people how to use it to transform their ideas into 3D-printed reality.
Advanced students with Cube 2 printers during immersion week in the 3D ThinkLink Lab
Having these additional printers at class sites will mean less waiting and more creating for students, who are always eager to see how the objects they design with 3D modeling software turn out when printed. For those who receive advanced training at the 3D ThinkLink Lab in Chantilly, Virginia, there will be a Cube 2 available for every student.
3D Systems is YouthQuest’s strategic partner in the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. Nearly all the equipment in the lab is made by the company – from the consumer-level Cube 2 and Cube 3 machines to professional-grade printers and scanners.
3D Systems also hosts Vocational Orientation tours of its headquarters in Rock Hill for all 3D ThinkLink students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.
Now in its 10th year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, YouthQuest ‘s mission is to provide the resources at-risk youth need to become successful adults. Learn more at www.YouthQuestFoundation.org.
As we enter our second decade of serving America’s at-risk youth, we’ve assembled a “greatest hits” video to illustrate how we use 3D printing to help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, creativity and confidence.
The YouthQuest Foundation marked its 10th anniversary on October 14 with a Casino Night and Open House to showcase the newly upgraded 3D ThinkLink Lab.
Action in our lobby-turned-casino
The atmosphere was festive as guests played casino games in the lobby of our Chantilly, Virginia, headquarters and enjoyed great food and drinks.
They also got to tour the lab and meet some of the at-risk teens they’re helping by supporting YouthQuest.
Several students from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy were on hand to show guests what they’re learning in their 3D class.
The 3D ThinkLink Initiative, YouthQuest’s signature STEM education project for at-risk youth, uses 3D design and printing as a vehicle for teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills. We have reached nearly 250 young people since we launched the project three years ago.
3D printers on display in the lab
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, the 3D ThinkLink Lab is now equipped with a collection of 3D printers and design tools that’s unmatched in the Washington area.
We have created a valuable resource for our advanced students who use the lab for weeklong immersion training sessions, as well as for members of the community who want access to our specialized equipment.
YouthQuest was founded by Lynda Mann and Allen Cage. It was certified by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2005.
We are deeply grateful to all the individuals and organizations that have supported our work through the years and we are excited about doing even more to serve America’s at-risk youth in the years ahead.
Vocational Orientation is an important part of YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative because our program does much more than introduce students to 3D design and printing.
Our goal is to teach at-risk youth to think differently so they can achieve their potential as successful adults. Their brains grow when they are exposed to new things. The more they experience, the more they have to draw on when thinking creatively about solving problems.
Prototype Productions, Inc., our 2015 3D ThinkLink Strategic Partner, teamed up with Topgolf Loudoun this month to provide a valuable Vocational Orientation experience for our students from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy and the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. PPI Co-Founder and CEO Joe Travez organized the October 15 event which focused on innovation.
Innovation in Practice
Students examine 3D-printed objects at PPI
As they toured PPI’s headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia, our 3D ThinkLink students discovered that innovative thinking is at the heart of the design, engineering and production work being done there. “Contemplation and action” is how Joe described it to the Cadets.
Chief Technology Officer Ben Feldman explained the ways PPI uses 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, along with traditional subtractive manufacturing methods to solve engineering problems.
For example, our students learned how the powered rail system PPI developed for military rifles not only lightens a soldier’s load by as much as 12 pounds by reducing the number of batteries he must carry, but can also be used for sending and receiving potentially lifesaving information on the battlefield.
Another PPI product they saw is a haptic device that mimics a sense of touch for training medical workers to insert IV needles or catheters into patients. Students selected for our advanced immersion training will get to try 3D modeling using haptic devices we recently added to the 3D ThinkLink Lab.
Visiting PPI showed our students some of the ways the technical knowledge and thinking skills they’re learning in class are applied in the working world. It opened their eyes to career paths they might never have considered.
Applied Innovation
From PPI, the group headed to nearby Topgolf Loudoun for a fun, hands-on lesson about innovation in action.
Facilities Manager Stephen Coffin explains the innovative technology behind Topgolf
Topgolf puts an imaginative, high-tech spin on the concept of a driving range. The golf balls are embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips and players try to hit targets in the outfield that are equipped with sensors that read data from the balls. The information is instantly relayed to computers that process the data, tally scores and display the information on players’ monitors.
The three-tiered facility has more than 100 player bays and hundreds of HDTVs, plus big-screen video games and other electronic goodies, all connected to a roomful of computers by miles of cable.
Director of Sales Cassandra Taylor and Facilities Manager Stephen Coffin led a behind-the-scenes tour to explain how everything works. Afterward, the students picked up the clubs and gave it a try. Few of them had ever played golf, but with a little coaching from the Topgolf pros, some of the kids quickly got into the swing of things.
A student experiences a high-tech twist on golf
It might have looked like just fun and games, but Topgolf was yet another new experience to stimulate creative thinking.
The Maryland and DC students wrapped up their Vocational Orientation Day by visiting the University of Maryland Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab in College Park to see how researchers are using 3D printing to make medical marvels such as blood vessel grafts and bone replacements.
A week later, 25 Cadets from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy – our largest 3D ThinkLink class ever – toured 3D Systems in Rock Hill, Duncan-Parnell’s 3D printing division in Charlotte and the University of South Carolina’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in Columbia.
Innovation’s Impact
The young people in ChalleNGe programs used to be turned off to education. For any number of reasons, they dropped out or were kicked out of school. They’ve made a commitment to turn their lives around and we’re helping them turn their brains back on.
Spending a day immersed in innovation can be a profound experience for at-risk children. It inspires them to dream big. It reminds them there’s a wide world of possibilities open to them.
We are grateful to all the companies and schools that provide Vocational Orientation tours for our students. In doing so, they are giving back to the community and investing in tomorrow’s workforce.
Some students in Fairfax County, Virginia are going back to school this week with improved thinking skills, increased confidence and turned-on brains, thanks to YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative.
Tom Meeks and Chris Roberts set up equipment for 3D ThinkLink classes
They’re the kids we introduced to 3D printing in Boys & Girls Clubs Summer Camp classes at the Culmore Character Club in July.
More than 30 students, some as young as 10, took part in the classes taught by YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks and Chris Roberts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Education Director.
During two weeks of daily two-hour sessions, the students learned the basics of 3D design and printing. In the process, they had fun exploring their creativity and strengthening their problem solving skills.
It took only a few days for the kids to get comfortable with the Moment of Inspiration 3D modeling software and Cube 3 printers we provided. After mastering a few simple tasks such as making cookie cutters and key chain tags personalized with their initials, they were eager to dream up their own projects.
Pauline Erpe holds a vase she created
“I had no idea what 3D printing was. I thought it would be kind of boring at first because it takes a lot of work,” said Pauline Erpe, 11, who is entering 7th grade. “It took a few days for me to learn, but now I know how to do it and it’s really fun. I’m really good at it now.”
We were pleased and impressed by how quickly even the youngest students were able to start turning their ideas into 3D-printed reality. The printers were running constantly, churning out imaginative objects of all kinds including castles, vehicles, superhero medallions, vases and tags for pets.
Even projects that went awry at first became opportunities for learning about how to deal with setbacks. Jimmy Escobar, 11, worked hard to create a case for his cell phone, only to discover when he printed it that the holes for the control buttons weren’t large enough. He worked through the problem by taking careful measurements and adjusting his design in Moment of Inspiration until the print turned out the way he wanted.
Tom Meeks watches Jimmy Escobar try a haptic device, which provides an artificial sense of touch in making 3D designs
“My teacher told us to never give up. If you mess up, try again. It might take you a few times, but you’ll get it. And I got it!,” Jimmy proudly declared as he showed off his finished phone case.
This summer’s pilot project with the Boys & Girls Clubs brought our 3D ThinkLink lessons to students who are younger than the ones we’ve been working with in the Maryland, District of Columbia and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe programs. The experience convinced us that children of all ages can benefit from our curriculum, which will be available for purchase online through our website this fall.
“It’s not all about 3D printing,” Pauline explained. “I learned how to grow my brain because I was introduced to new things.”
Too often, summer vacation is “brain drain” time for young people. Our 3D ThinkLink classes helped the Culmore kids keep their minds turned on this summer so they could start the new school year ready to learn on Day One.
What began with a few teens at one school has grown into a program that’s brought the magic of 3D printing to more than 200 young people coast to coast.
As soon as we launched our 3D ThinkLink pilot project at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in early 2013, we started to see why it’s such a great teaching tool – especially for at-risk youth.
SCYCA graduate Sherquana Adams holds one of her 3D-printed creations
In more than two years of providing 3D design and printing classes, we’ve seen how the experience helps develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, encourages creativity and builds confidence.
Most of the students we work with have made decisions that led them down the wrong path and they see themselves as failures. Our classes help them understand that failure is not final; it’s just a step toward improvement and, ultimately, success. The software and hardware we use make it easy for them to try a project, analyze mistakes, make corrections and print again until they reach their goal.
Twenty-five Cadets from the Maryland, District of Columbia and South Carolina ChalleNGe Academies completed 3D ThinkLink training last month (see below), bringing our total of ChalleNGe Program grads so far to 111.
In March, more than 70 students from across the United States and Canada took part in our 3D printing workshops at the 41st Annual National Society of Black Engineers Convention in Anaheim, California.
Learning 3D design at Boys & Girls Club summer camp
This month, we’re reaching dozens of kids in Northern Virginia for the first time by working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington to provide summer camp classes at the Culmore Character Club.
Another way we’re bringing 3D ThinkLink to more people is by making our curriculum available for teachers and students to buy online. On July 1, we wrapped up a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter that will cover the cost of creating the curriculum packages, which include Moment of Inspiration 3D modeling software, lesson plans and instructional videos.
Our goal is to give at-risk kids the tools they need to become successful adults. That includes academic and vocational training, along with developing the life skills that will keep them on track no matter what career path they choose. We don’t expect most our 3D ThinkLink students to end up in jobs that directly involve 3D design and printing, but we do expect the thinking skills and positive attitudes they develop in class will help them get ahead in any kind of job.
YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann with Adonis Gonzales
For example, there’s Adonis Gonzales, who was in our first class at Freestate. He always wanted to be a master electrician and now he’s in the second year of an apprenticeship program. In a recent interview with the Connection Newspapers, he talked about how he uses the problem solving skills he learned in our class to work through obstacles on the job.
Adonis also took our “failure is not final” message to heart. He didn’t pass his GED exam the first time he took it – or the second time. But he didn’t give up and he learned from his mistakes until, on the third try, he earned his GED.
Adonis is a remarkable young man and he’s going to do well in life. Stories like his encourage us to keep expanding the 3D ThinkLInk Initiative so we can touch the lives of more at-risk youth.
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Congratulations to Our Latest Graduates
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy: Dishon Bailey, Chris Foster, Tyler Garcia, Jaya Geter, Aaliyah Lilly, LaKristopher McCoy, Joshua Milligan, Shiann O’Shea, Jared Pearsall, Craig Shipman Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy: Angela Bernfeld, Tyeshia Blackmond, Dylan Cooper, Ronnell Dillard, Steve James, Kyla Joyner, Darian Moore, Andrey Ortiz-Castillo, Angel Patterson Freestate ChalleNGe Academy: Maurice Allen, Philbert Fisher, Benjamin Illioff, Johnathan Lainez, TreVaughn McBride, Maxim Pine
Here are some photo highlights of their 3D ThinkLink experience.
