Tag: Keith Hammond

The YouthQuest Foundation Year in Review: 2019

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3D ThinkLink teachers from Freestate, Capital Guardian and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGE Academies with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks

Teachers are at the heart of our mission to change the lives of at-risk youth. That’s why, as we roll the closing credits for 2019, our 3D ThinkLink instructors top the list of people who played starring roles for the YouthQuest Foundation this year.

Thanks to the teachers we trained at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs serving Maryland, South Carolina and the District of Columbia, 57 more cadets completed our 3D ThinkLink class this year. That brings the total number of Youth ChalleNGe cadets we’ve reached to more than 300 since 2013, when we began using 3D printing as a vehicle to teach underserved teens job skills and life skills.

Jamarr Dennis, Demyound Wright and Germaine Rasberry at 3D ThinkLink Teacher Training in February 2019
Teacher Training, February 2019

This year’s instructors were: Germaine Rasberry and Demyond Wright from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy; Jamarr Dennis and Aaron Ancrum from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy; Keith Hammond and La-Toya Hamilton from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

In addition to carrying out many other responsibilities at their schools, these teachers devoted time to conduct classes and print students’ projects, organize 3D-printing community service projects, and transport their cadets to Vocational Orientation field trips. They also traveled to our lab in Chantilly Virginia, in February and September to sharpen their skills at teacher training sessions. In June and November, they returned with top students selected for Advanced Training, which provided hands-on learning experiences to prepare the cadets for continued education and careers in 3D printing.

PHILLIPS Schools

As with the ChalleNGe programs, workforce development became a new priority this year in our partnership with the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families.

The PHILLIPS teachers we trained have used their 3D ThinkLink skills to tailor our curriculum for their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These students often have great attention to detail, deep focus, tenacity, pattern recognition and outside-the-box thinking skills that help them excel at 3D design and printing.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks is working closely with Sam Son, who oversees the 3D classes at PHILLIPS, to identify employment opportunities for young people with ASD.

PHILLIPS student Ladrious Eaton works with YouthQuest's powder/binder 3D printer
PHILLIPS student Ladrious works on the iTech project

A highlight of the year was a project Tom organized to demonstrate how we can help teens on the autism spectrum develop skills to become independent, successful adults.

PHILLIPS teachers Jim Field and Joseph Phillips brought Henry, Ladrious and John, students from the Annandale and Fairfax, Virginia, campuses, to our lab in June to be part of a unique cross-country collaboration with kids at a STEM-focused magnet school in Vancouver, Washington.

Award-winning teacher John Zingale’s 7th and 8th graders at iTech Preparatory did 3D scanning of 19th-century artifacts from the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to create an interactive virtual museum. But they had no way to make realistic, full-color replicas of the scanned artifacts that could be handled and studied without fear of damaging the originals. Tom arranged to have the PHILLIPS students use one of the powder/binder 3D printers in YouthQuest’s lab to create the reproductions for iTech.

Over the course of three days, Henry, Ladrious and John mastered every step of the process: taking in the 3D image files; preparing the files in the printing software; setting up and operating the printer; post-processing the printed objects; and packaging them for shipping to Vancouver.

Henry, John and Ladrious with box of 3D printed artifact replicas to ship to Vancouver iTech Prep
Henry, John and Ladrious

It was especially gratifying to have Henry involved in the iTech project. He was in our first 3D class at the PHILLIPS School in Annandale and attended a week of advanced training in our lab in 2017. Henry, who says he wants to be “a tech guru,” graduated from PHILLIPS in June.

The Mighty, a website that connects and empowers millions of people facing disabilities and health challenges, featured this article about the difference our program has made in Henry’s life.

The iTech project came full-circle when “Mr. Z” and some of his students visited our lab while they were in the DC area for the National History Day Contest. PHILLIPS Career Partners Director Lindsay Harris was there to let the students from Vancouver know how much the team from her school appreciated working with them.

Volunteers, Partners and Sponsors

In keeping with this year’s focus on teachers, it’s fitting that our Volunteer of the Year is a teacher.

2019 Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams with YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founders Allen Cage and Lynda Mann at VIP Reception August 1, 2019
Volunteer of the Year Chris Adams

YouthQuest Co-Founders Lynda Mann and Allen Cage presented the award to Chris Adams, a Technology Education teacher at Franklin Middle School in Chantilly at our annual VIP Reception in August. Chris has been sharing his expertise with us for several years. This year, he facilitated the donation of two Z310 powder/binder 3D printers from Fairfax County Public Schools, our 2019 Community Partner Award winner. The professional-grade printers are vital to our job-training initiative.

Our 2019 Strategic Partner Award went to University of Maryland Terrapin Works in appreciation for hosting Vocational Orientation tours of the school’s 3D printing facilities and department of mechanical engineering for Capital Guardian cadets twice a year.

Harford Community College continues to be a valuable resource for our Freestate cadets, as David Antol provides tours of the school’s 3D printing lab. During a Vocational Orientation event in October, they got to meet Maxwell Herzing, a 2018 Freestate graduate who’s now one of Prof. Antol’s Engineering Technology students. Maxwell’s message to the cadets about the importance of doing something you love and not being afraid to make mistakes was right on the mark.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet Ka’Dejah Riley with other 3D ThinkLink students at Vocational Orientation at University of North Carolina-Charlotte 3D printing lab
Vocational Orientation at UNCC

Dr. Jeff Raquet at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte Department of Mechanical Engineering and the 3D printing team at Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte provided valuable Vocational Orientation experiences for our 3D ThinkLink classes from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

All the success we’ve enjoyed this year would not be possible without the financial support of our sponsors. We were pleased to welcome DFS Construction Corporation and DCG Dominion Construction Group as first-time sponsors of our annual golf tournament in August, along with returning sponsors AOC Solutions, FEDAC, the Poole Foundation, the POH Group, Kipps DeSanto, Insperity, Gombos-Leyton, Jones Lang LaSalle, Old Dominion National Bank, CrossFit PR Star and Valley Forge Acquisition Corp.

2019 YouthQuest golf tournament volunteers at Trump National Golf Club Aug. 5. 2019
Golf tournament volunteers

We’re also grateful to our golf tournament volunteers — Linda Ackerman, Emily Blake, Rachel Cage, Edna Davis, Nikki Gombos, Rob Hall, Val Hightower, Steve Levenson, Ingrid Louro and Tony Sanderson – along with the entire team at Trump National Golf Club, Washington DC.

Because of the contributions everyone has made to our mission this year, we’ve been able to help at-risk teens break the cycle of failure and get on course for success.

Three of this year’s students from SCYCA earned $1,000 scholarships for essays they wrote about what their 3D ThinkLink experience taught them.

“I believe that anybody and everybody can accomplish their goals in life. Why? Life is full lessons and blessings. That’s why I haven’t given up.” – Naomi Perez

“I want to show everyone at home and everyone who has ever doubted me I’m more than just the average teenager. I’m going to make something out of myself and I’m not going to go back to my old ways.” – Ka’Dejah Riley

“I can do anything … nothing is beyond my reach.” – Hunter Lusby

The Year in Photos

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3D ThinkLink Session Is a Hit at Steve Harvey Mentoring Event

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YouthQuest President Lynda Mann speaks about 3D ThinkLink Initiative at Steve Harvey mentoring camp June 15, 2019

YouthQuest joined Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy to teach fatherless teens about opportunities in 3D printing at Steve Harvey’s mentoring camp this month.  

The presentation on Father’s Day weekend was part of a five-day event that drew more than 200 young men from across the country to The Rock Ranch in The Rock, Georgia. Activities included sessions on STEM programs, career development and motivation.

YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made opening remarks and showed a video about the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which teaches at-risk youth life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and perseverance while introducing them to 3D design and printing.

Keith Hammond, lead 3D ThinkLink instructor at CGYCA, followed up with a presentation about some of the many uses for 3D printing technology and a brief demonstration of the design software 3D ThinkLink students learn. Nearly 100 Capital Guardian cadets have completed YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink training since 2013.

Raynald Blackwell, director of the District of Columbia’s Youth ChalleNGe Program, also spoke to encourage the young men to consider career paths in science, technology, engineering and math that require 3D skills.  

Afterward, teens crowded around a display table to see a printer in action, handle 3D-printed objects and ask questions.

Mentoring camp staffers were pleased. Several told Hammond it was the most interactive and interesting of all the presentations that day.

The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men, Capital Guardian and YouthQuest share the goal of helping young people recognize their potential and prepare to be successful adults through education and life-enriching experiences.

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You can support our work by:
Making a donation to YouthQuest through our secure PayPal link
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3D ThinkLink Initiative Helps At-Risk Youth Build Resilience

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3D ThinkLink student David Kelly from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in advanced training lab

Considering what many of the at-risk teens our 3D ThinkLink Initiative serves have been through in their young lives, it’s remarkable that they’ve done as well as they have. Violence, poverty, family upheaval, academic failure, substance abuse and all sorts of physical and emotional trauma are recurring themes in their personal stories. Yet some of them thrive despite it all.

This quality of being able to succeed in the face of adversity is known as resilience.

One of the unexpected discoveries we’ve made during five years of teaching 3D design and printing to troubled kids is that the experience helps many of them become more resilient.

That’s because our program emphasizes more than technical skills. It promotes critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and self-confidence. The trial-and-error process of making 3D-printed objects changes our students’ perception of failure. They come to see it as a natural part of the learning process and a step along the path to eventual success.     

Henry Spiegelblatt runs a 3D printer in YouthQuest's 3D ThinkLink class at the PHILLIPS School in Annandale, Virginia
PHILLIPS student Henry Spiegelblatt runs a 3D printer in class

“These are students that have failed often in the classroom and they don’t always have the confidence that they can learn and be successful. The 3D class really gives them that,” said Lindsay Harris, director of the Career Partners Program at PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families. PHILLIPS has adapted our 3D ThinkLink curriculum for students with autism at its Annandale and Fairfax, Virginia, schools.

“Trying something hard, being successful and becoming competent in it, going through a process where your design fails but then problem-solving to improve the design so that it prints the way you want it … This all has a major impact on their self-esteem and their confidence that they can contribute, they can learn, they can problem-solve,” she added. “We know from the resiliency literature that having successful experiences is one of the ‘protective factors’ that shield you from stresses in life. So this definitely is something that helps build their resiliency.”

Relationships Overcome Risks

“Resilient people defy stereotypes,” explained Associate Professor Elizabeth Anthony from the Arizona State University School of Social Work. In a 2016 speech, she advocated defining children by their strengths instead of their risks.

Anthony, who’s spent two decades studying how some children manage to do well despite adversity, has found that relationships are a key factor.

“It could be a mentor, for example, who helps a young person identify a gift or a talent, that helps inspire them,” she said.

At-risk kids develop more resilience when someone takes an interest in them and “champions their cause,” Anthony added.

A long-running study of children on the Hawaiian island of Kauai that began more than 60 years ago reinforces Anthony’s point. According to an article by Lucy Maddox on the website Quartz:

The researchers in the Kauai study separated the nearly 700 children involved into two groups. Approximately two-thirds were thought to be at low risk of developing any difficulties, but about one-third were classed as “high-risk”: born into poverty, perinatal stress, family discord (including domestic violence), parental alcoholism or illness. they found that two-thirds of this group went on to develop significant problems. But totally unexpectedly, approximately one-third of the “high-risk” children didn’t. They developed into competent, confident and caring individuals, without significant problems in adult life. 

Freestate ChalleNGe Academy cadet David Kelly does advanced training in YouthQuest's 3D ThinkLink Lab in June 2017
David Kelly does advanced training in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab

“One person can make a big difference,” the study’s principal investigator Lali McCubbin, told Maddox. “A lot of the research supports this idea of relationships, and the need to have a sense of someone that believes in you or someone that supports you – even in a chaotic environment – just having that one person.”

Jonathan Brown and Jamarr Dennis experienced this as a 3D ThinkLink instructors at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy last year, when one of their students was David Kelly, who lives in tough, inner-city part of Baltimore.

“In his family and neighborhood, it would be so easy for him to fall back into what he got away from. But this kid separated himself from all the commotion, all the folks who wanted to continue to go down the wrong path, who tried to use peer pressure and other methods to get him off the path,” said Brown. “His commitment to complete the program was unparalleled. Being in 3D couldn’t have been a better experience for him, to see someone believing in him and being successful doing it.”

“He watched me print out a chess piece and that opened his eyes,” Dennis recalled. “He said I want to do the same thing you just did, but I want to do it from scratch. And then from there on, he just started progressing. He was so excited about it. … It turned on that inspiration, that ambitiousness, that he has.” 

“Afterwards he gave me the biggest hug you could give anybody and said thank you for being patient with me, especially teaching me in this class,” added Dennis.

Kelly turned out to be one of the top 3D students in his class at Freestate and went on to attend advanced training in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab at our headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, last summer. This month, he enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program and is on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine.

Competence Creates Confidence

The at-risk teens we serve typically have very limited life experiences, and what experiences they do have are overwhelmingly negative. As a result, their view of what’s possible for them is also limited. That’s why our 3D ThinkLink Initiative is designed to expose these young people to new ideas and experiences. For instance, each class cycle includes Vocational Orientation tours that take students to places they’ve never been and show them how the 3D skills they’re learning in class are used by businesses and universities.   

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet Daniela Aguilar at Vocational Orientation in the University of Maryland Tissue Engineering Lab in April 2017
Daniela Aguilar at Vocational Orientation in the University of Maryland Tissue Engineering Lab

“One of the most exciting findings in the last decade or so is that we can change the wiring of the brain through the experiences we expose it to. The right experiences can shape the individual, intrinsic characteristics of a child in a way that will build their resilience,” psychologist Karen Young wrote on the website Hey Sigmund.

Experiences that show at-risk kids they’re capable of doing difficult things can be life-changing, Young added. Developing competence and “a sense of mastery” strengthens their resilience.

3D design and printing seems daunting to our students when they begin class. Most of them have told us they didn’t think they could do it at first. But the teachers guide them step-by-step through the 3D ThinkLink curriculum, showing them how to solve problems through critical thinking and iterative improvement. Although they experience plenty of failures while designing and printing 3D objects, they learn from those mistakes and keep trying until they’re successful.

The overarching lesson of our program that failure is not final – in 3D printing and in life. It’s gratifying when we see at-risk kids take that lesson to heart.

One of those who did is Daniela Aguilar from Washington, DC, who was in our 3D class at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy during the first half of last year. She fell one test short of earning her General Equivalency Diploma (GED), so the school asked her to come back for the next class cycle to serve as peer mentor, which gave her the chance to stay on campus and finish her GED.

Daniela Aguilar presents the 3D-printed clock she made to Miss Black Maryland USA Saidah Grimes at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy in August, 2017
Daniela Aguilar presents the 3D-printed clock she made to Miss Black Maryland USA Saidah Grimes

“She was young — 16 when she came to us in January – and had a difficult home life. That’s one of the reasons we allowed her to become a peer mentor, to keep her in a better environment for a little while longer to accomplish her goal of completing her GED,” said Keith Hammond, who teaches 3D ThinkLink classes at Capital Guardian.

When Miss Black Maryland USA Saidah Grimes visited the campus last August, a counselor asked if Hammond’s class could make a 3D-printed keepsake. Because Aguilar had completed 3D ThinkLink training in the previous class cycle, Hammond assigned her the task of designing and printing a customized clock for the VIP guest.

“In the beginning, she thought being back at Capital Guardian as a peer mentor would make people think of her as a failure because she hadn’t passed her GED. But because she got the spotlight by knowing 3D printing, making the clock and presenting it in front of everyone, she felt better about herself,” said Hammond. “When she got that positive reinforcement because she knew how to do the 3D program, I think it made her understand internally that she is worth the effort.”

3D ThinkLink Teachers Update Skills During Training Week

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Freestate's Jonathan Brown, Capital Guardian's Keith Hammond, YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks and Freestate's Jamarr Dennis work with a JellyBox 3D printer during 3D ThinkLink Teacher Training on Sept. 27, 2017.

If there’s anything we enjoy as much as having students in our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab, it’s having teachers there.

Jonathan Brown and Jamarr Dennis from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy and Keith Hammond from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy came to our headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, the week of September 25 to learn about the newest elements of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative.

“We want to give them the best tools and motivate them to learn how to use those tools so they can be the best teachers for the at-risk students we serve,” explained YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks.

“I’m always happy when I come out here,” said Keith, who’s been a 3D ThinkLink teacher from the beginning in 2013, when we launched our project to use 3D printing as a vehicle for teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills to at-risk youth.

Capital Guardian's Keith Hammond and Freestate's Jonathan Brown and Jamarr Dennis learn about the M3D Micro 3D printer during 3D ThinkLink Teacher Training on Sept. 26, 2017.
Teachers learn about the M3D Micro

He praised the individual attention Tom provided during the training sessions, which included an introduction to new equipment such as the M3D Micro printer. The Micro is more versatile than the 3D Systems Cube printers we’ve used in classrooms for years and gives teachers more control over printing options.

Tom and the teachers also reviewed the new structure of the 3D ThinkLink curriculum. Based on the results from previous class cycles, we’ve reorganized the curriculum into blocks of four to five lessons, each of which which culminates with a benchmark project that involves all the skills students should have mastered by that point.

Jamarr, who’s in his second class cycle of 3D ThinkLink teaching, thinks the new structure will help his students at Freestate stay on pace from week to week. He said the benchmark projects should show him if students have missed something important before they move ahead in the curriculum.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction, Tom Meeks. show Moment of Inspiration 3D design software to Jonathan Brown from Maryland's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy during 3D ThinkLink Teacher Training Week in September, 2017.
Tom Meeks introduces Moment of Inspiration 3D design software to Freestate’s Jonathan Brown 

Jonathan, our newest 3D ThinkLink teacher at Freestate, was hesitant to get involved in the project at first because he wasn’t sure he could devote the time and effort it takes to learn about the software and hardware. But when he spent a week in our lab as a chaperone for two Freestate Cadets who completed advanced training this summer, he was convinced.

“When I saw how quick the kids grasped it and how much fun they had with it, I said I’m absolutely coming back,” Jonathan recalled.

As soon as a teaching position opened up, he volunteered. Within weeks, Jonathan was back in our lab working closely with Tom to become a 3D ThinkLink teacher.  

“I’m here early every day because I’m looking forward to what we’re going to pick up today. And Tom has matched all of my intensity,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to be creative and seeing where my mind takes it.”

Tom will travel to the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Eastover next week to provide training for new teachers.

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VIDEO: A Week of Discovery in YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Lab

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Students in YouthQuest's first 3D ThinkLink Lab immersion training week

The students in our first 3D ThinkLink Lab made up an unlikely team of trailblazers.

Not long ago, they were “going down the wrong path.” They were getting into trouble, giving up on school and feeling like nobody cared about them. Each one made the life-changing decision to enroll in the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, where they learned about 3D design and printing in classes provided by the YouthQuest Foundation.

Thirty at-risk teens from South Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia completed the introductory course in June. From those classes, instructors chose these five young men to attend the first weeklong training session at YouthQuest headquarters in Chantilly, Va., Aug. 4-8.

For South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduate Joey Clark, it was an “adventurous” week.

“We all come from different places, with different problems,” he said. “You didn’t know what was going to happen. It was a mystery.

“We started printing some stuff out, started having fun and then we all became pretty much brothers.”

The students’ main project for the week was to build a solar-powered walking robot and use 3D printing to customize it. In the process, they learned about creativity, problem solving and teamwork, said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who was delighted by how quickly the students pulled together.

Daikwon Jones and Brice Lamb help each other assemble their robots
Daikwon Jones and Brice Lamb help each other assemble their robots

Within hours, the 3D ThinkLink Lab was buzzing with activity as the students helped each other assemble their robot skeletons and troubleshoot problems.

“You really have to think when it comes to 3D printing because your first thing isn’t always going to work,” observed Joey.

He and fellow SCYCA grad Brice Lamb had to think outside the box when they discovered their solar panels wouldn’t produce enough power to make their robots walk. Joey came up with the idea of using a AA battery to run the motor. He worked with Tom to design and print a battery holder that attached to his robot’s back.

That led Brice to experiment with a smaller button-type battery from one of the electronic calipers the students used to take precise measurements.

“This is the kind of problem-solving skill we’re trying to instill in these young people,” said Tom. “We want them to know that when you reach a hurdle, you don’t just stop. You take a look at it, think about it and then come up with a solution to your problem.”

“Doing 3D taught me it’s OK to make mistakes because you can always go back and redo it,” added Jarrod Burley from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.

“This has helped me so much,” said Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduate Daikwon Jones. “It gives you a chance to be yourself. It’s like an artist with a painting.”

The students showed off their creations during the annual VIP reception for YouthQuest’s leading supporters, held at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in McLean, Va., on Aug. 7. Getting to meet some of the at-risk youth they’re helping made a powerful impression on our donors.

“They are highly educated, successful, accomplished in their professions,” noted Tom, “yet they didn’t know as much about 3D printing as our students did.”

Rashad Byrd with (L-R) Carrie and Pete Schourek, and Jones Lang LaSalle Managing Director Harry Klaff at VIP Reception August 7, 2014
Rashad Byrd with (L-R) Carrie and Pete Schourek, and Jones Lang LaSalle Managing Director Harry Klaff at YouthQuest’s VIP Reception

“CEOs, captains of industry, professional athletes, authors… were actually held spellbound,” Capital Guardian Information Systems Manager and 3D ThinkLink instructor Keith Hammond recalled with a smile.

“It made me feel special,” said Brice.

The reception guests were fascinated by 3D printing, added Jarrod, but many they said they didn’t think they’d be able to do it. “When I told them, ‘You can do anything you put your mind to,’ it amazed them,” he said.

Jarrod’s Freestate classmate Rashad Byrd, a sports fan who dreams of playing pro baseball, was amazed that he was able to spend time with two famous athletes in two days. He talked with retired MLB pitcher Pete Schourek about 3D printing – and baseball – at the VIP reception, then got a pep talk on the final day of class from sportscaster Rick ‘Doc’ Walker, who was a member of the Super Bowl XVII Champion Washington Redskins. Both of them played in our charity golf tournament, the Challenge at Trump National, on Aug. 11.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Stay focused on your goals and don’t get distracted,” Doc told the students. “Don’t ever let anyone make fun of you for trying to be successful. Knowledge is the key.”

The first 3D ThinkLink Lab experience was an eye-opener for everyone.

“All week, we’ve been creating stuff. We’ve been expanding our minds.” said Daikwon.

“I never thought I would be telling somebody to not give up and to just keep trying. If you mess up, just start all over again,” said Jarrod.

These five young trailblazers, who have started over and put themselves on the path to a better life, taught us a great deal during the week. Because of what we learned from their experience, we will be able to accomplish even more in the next immersion labs as we acquire more sophisticated 3D printers.

If you would like to help us expand our 3D ThinkLink Initiative, please CLICK HERE to make a donation or contact us at info@YouthQuestFoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.

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YouthQuest Launches 3D ThinkLink Lab Training

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YouthQuest President Lynda Mann with 3D ThinkLink Lab students Jarrod Burley, Rashad Byrd, Daikwon Jones, Brice Lamb and Joey Clark on August 4, 2014.

Today marks an important milestone in the growth of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative. For the first time, we’ve brought students to our headquarters for a week of immersion training.

These students learned the basics of 3D design and printing in our spring classes at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy and the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. During this week’s 3D ThinkLink Lab experience, they will do creative, hand-on projects to add new layers to their understanding of 3D printing and to build up their critical thinking skills.

Daikwon Jones dreams up ways to customize the robot he just assembled.
Daikwon Jones dreams up ways to customize the solar-powered robot he just assembled.

This morning’s session began with a discussion about solving problems, then the students got right to work assembling solar-powered robots and using their 3D printing skills to customize their creations.

Another project for the group will be to invent a device that allows a person who has a prosthetic arm to use an electric toothbrush. Under the guidance of YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, the students will design, print and install the device to test and evaluate their concept.

On Thursday night, the students will showcase their projects during YouthQuest’s annual VIP Reception at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse in McLean, Va.

The members of our first 3D ThinkLink Lab class are: Jarrod Burley and Rashad Byrd (Maryland), Daikwon Jones (DC), Joey Clark and Brice Lamb (SC).

We also thank Freestate’s Tim Jackson, Capital Guardian’s Keith Hammond and Herman Lantz, and South Carolina’s Sammie Brown for joining us at YouthQuest headquarters in Chantilly, Va., this week to help with the training and chaperone the students.

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VIDEO: Spring 2014 3D Printing Class Awards

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YouthQuest Vice President and Co-Founder Allen Cage speaks at awards ceremony for 3D printing class from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy on June 14, 2014 at the University of the District of Columbia.

The YouthQuest Foundation is celebrating our 3D ThinkLink Initiative’s biggest class cycle since the STEM education project began. Thirty students received certificates of completion this month.

YouthQuest provided 36 hours of instruction in 3D design and printing to help the students at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies in South Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia improve their critical thinking skills and explore their creative abilities.

YouthQuest Vice President and Co-Founder Allen Cage spoke during the Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy commencement ceremony at the University of the District of Columbia on June 14.

Students at Freestate received their awards from President and Co-Founder Lynda Mann during a ceremony on June 10 in Aberdeen, Md.

YouthQuest Secretary Bill Hall represented the Foundation at the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy’s awards ceremony in Eastover, S.C., on June 9. We don’t have video from the South Carolina event, but you can see photos of the SCYCA class during Vocational Orientation Day here.

A total of 56 at-risk teens have completed our 3D ThinkLink Initiative training since we launched the project at Freestate early last year.

Several of the students from the latest classes will be invited to participate in a week of immersion training in August at our headquarters in Chantilly, Va., to add more layers to their knowledge of 3D printing.

YouthQuest is working to expand the 3D ThinkLink Initiative to more ChalleNGe programs and other youth organizations that work in underserved communities. We are also creating a 3D fabrication laboratory, which will have advanced hardware and software for students and members of the local community to use.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work with at-risk youth, click here to donate or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES

Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
Jarrod Burley
Rashad Byrd
Kayla Coleman
Requan Da Sant
Dakota Doyle
Harold Dugger
Rene Martinez-Zapata
Darius Monroe
Denzel Thyme
Christian Zapata

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
Gerardo Aguilar
Daisha Allen
Estafania Contreras-Flores
Alexander Cruz
Daikow Jones
Daquan Lewis
Thomas Lewis
Demetrius Morgan
John Platt
Rasaan Washington

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy
Joseph Bennett
Joseph Clark
Terrance Flagler
Raymond Gilliam
Megan Jones
Brice Lamb
Tyrese Patrick
Gregory Thompson
Tevin Vanderhall
Christopher Watts

Teachers Complete 3D ThinkLink Initiative Training

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YouthQuest 3D ThinkLink Initiative teacher training

Instructors from three National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs spent the week of Feb. 3 preparing for the next round of The YouthQuest Foundation’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative classes.

They completed our first teacher training course at YouthQuest’s headquarters in Chantilly, Va. The sessions led by the Foundation’s Training Director Tom Meeks and President Lynda Mann covered everything from brain development and critical thinking skills to the use of Moment of Inspiration and Cubify Sculpt design software to operating a Cube 3D printer.

Our unique STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education project uses 3D printing to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By learning to think differently, at-risk teens who once gave up on school become re-engaged in their education and discover how to make better decisions to achieve their goals in life.

Ivan Tucker and Joi Toliver from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy look at a Cube 3D printer
Click the picture to see a photo gallery.

During a busy week of training, the teachers did everything their students will do in class. Hands-on projects included using basic shapes to create an Egyptian level and designing, printing and assembling a set of gears. The 15-unit curriculum wrapped up with a creative exercise in which they manipulated images captured by a Sense 3D scanner.

The teachers also got an overview of the many vocational opportunities for their students. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is used in such diverse fields as automotive and aerospace engineering, cooking, medicine, architecture and art.

The 3D ThinkLink Initiative was launched at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy early last year and expanded to include the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy last fall. Our newest partner is the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy. All three programs will begin 3D classes in March.

Congratulations to the first-class teachers in our first class!

Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
Rikiesha Metzger
Tim Jackson

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
Keith Hammond
Herman Lantz

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy
Joi Toliver
Ivan Tucker

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, click here to donate or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.

3D ThinkLink Initiative’s Impact: ‘I Didn’t Think I Could Learn Anything Like This’

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Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Kenneth Cruz looks at a 3D-scanned image of himself.

Patience. Persistence. Attention to detail. Creativity.

Those are some of the lessons the YouthQuest Foundation’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative taught Cadets at the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

Our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education project not only introduces students to the revolutionary field of additive manufacturing, it uses 3D design and printing classes to teach critical thinking skills that help at-risk teens make better decisions as they enter adulthood.

“I didn’t think I could learn anything like this before,” said Cadet Dalonta Crudup, whose dream is to design and build his own house from the ground up.

“I was thinking that when I start architecture in college it was going to be hard, but joining this class has made it seem a lot easier – how to deal with things, how to deal with situations and building stuff,” he said.

Cadet Niema Travers also was worried at first that she wouldn’t be able to learn 3D design and printing.

“Now I can do this without any problem,” she said with a smile. “It made me feel better than anything because … to be able to make something on the computer, for it to print out and be in your hand, is amazing.”

The 3D classes taught Niema, who has her sights set on a career in information technology, to be patient and methodical in solving problems.

“You have to figure out which piece goes where and if you do it wrong, you have to figure out what happened and go back,” she explained. “It takes a lot of hard work, but I love it.”

“It helped me pay attention to detail,” agreed Cadet Kenneth Cruz, who hopes to study 3D printing in college and perhaps become a video game designer.

It was also a confidence-builder for Kenneth and his classmates.

“Being in this class, it helped me understand that you can put your mind to anything,” he said.

The 3D ThinkLink Initiative gave Cadet Gerry Rubi, who plans to be a civil engineer, the opportunity to get creative with technology.

“One of the main things it taught me is there’s a lot of ways to do one thing,” he said.

Gerry took a 3D engineering class at his previous school, but was only able to look at his designs on a computer screen.

“We never got the chance to physically print it out and be able to hold it and say we created that,” he said.

The class at Capital Guardian allowed him to come up ideas for objects, design and print them and make revisions until he was satisfied with finished item. Gerry likened it to the difference between “drawing a picture and bringing the picture to life.”

YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative was launched at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy early last year and expanded to Capital Guardian in the fall. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program operates these residential academies where dropouts get a second chance to earn a high school degree and prepare for employment or continued education. The ChalleNGe program in South Carolina will start 3D ThinkLink Initiative classes in a few weeks.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support this unique STEM education project, click here to donate or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.

3D ThinkLink Initiative Gears Up at ChalleNGe Academies

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Tom Meeks 3D printing Freestate ChalleNGe Academy Cadets
Tom Meeks talks with Freestate ChalleNGe Academy Cadets about the 3D-printed gears they designed.

The 3D printing classes YouthQuest Foundation Training Director Tom Meeks teaches are truly multi-dimensional. While his students work on understanding the science and math of additive manufacturing, they also learn lessons in life.

During one recent session, Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academies were creating sets of gears when the subject suddenly shifted to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb.

Tom told the class that Edison – who was once labeled “too stupid to learn anything” by a teacher – built about 1,000 unsuccessful prototypes before finally making a bulb that worked. When a reporter asked how it felt to fail 1,000 times, Edison replied: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

The story resonated with the Cadets, most of whom had failed in school and dropped out. They realized that quitting high school was a mistake and they enrolled in the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program to change their lives by resuming their education.

Step by step, YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative is showing at-risk teens that mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.

Tom Meeks Moment of Inspiration software
Tom Meeks Moment of Inspiration software to show how to design a part to hold a gear.

Instructors at Maryland’s Freestate and Capital Guardian, serving the District of Columbia, choose promising Cadets to take part in the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which YouthQuest sponsors to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education.

“It’s really important to the YouthQuest mission that we not just do 3D printing as an end in itself. It’s got to be integrated into what the students are learning,” explained Tom.

For example, the Cadets used math concepts such as ratios in designing their gears with Moment of Inspiration software. They also had to apply physics and engineering principles to make sure the parts would work together correctly after being fabricated by a Cube 3D printer.

“Is this stuff easy? No,” Tom told a class as some Cadets stumbled through the gear-building steps. “Why were you chosen? Because you can do hard things. I know you can do it!”

‘Your Failures Are Not Final’

The first assignment for these students was to create a cookie cutter. The results ranged from nearly perfect to way, way off.

Instead of the planned star-shaped outline, a couple of objects came off the printer as solid blocks of plastic. Tom playfully declared the botched cookie cutters to be “cookie mashers” and said he was glad to see them because they helped make the most important point about these classes.

first 3D printed objects cookie cutters
Mixed bag: The first cookie cutters Cadets created.

“Your failures are not final. You can redesign it and print it again.”

It’s a message Tom repeats frequently as he encourages the Cadets to work together and solve problems through creative thinking.

“It’s really a ‘thinking class’ more than a 3D printing class,” he said.

“We want them to learn to love learning. We want them to know that when they do fail, they can analyze that failure, study that failure, and then go on to make changes that make a positive result in their lives.”

‘These 3D Classes Are Awesome’

The project is a tremendous confidence-builder for Cadets, according to Keith Hammond, Manager of Information Systems at Capital Guardian and former Placement Coordinator at Freestate.

Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian combined class
Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian meet in a combined class Oct. 26.

“They’ve gone from being the kids nobody wanted in class, who got kicked out of school,” said Keith, who has been deeply involved in the classes since the pilot project at Freestate early this year. “Now they’re in the top 1 percent of their student population because they know something that 99 percent of the kids do not know. They understand 3D printing – additive manufacturing – and they’ve been successful at it. So now they carry themselves with confidence in all their other classes.”

Freestate science instructor Timmy Jackson has seen Cadets who didn’t seem interested in academics at first become more engaged, thanks to the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. He recalled one in particular who started out as “maybe a C student in science.”

“Once he came to the 3D program, he became basically like an expert. He was actually giving some hints to the instructor,” he said.

“These 3D classes are awesome for the kids,” he added. “Some of them are already talking about this as a future. They want to know how they can get involved in it once they graduate.”

Keith has heard the same praise from other instructors at Freestate and Capital Guardian.

“They say, ‘Wow, the 3D kids are really stepping up their game now,’” he beamed. “So I can challenge them more and they’re not as frustrated when they fail because they’ve understood what Tom is teaching them: Failure can lead to success. It’s just one step.”

The Next Steps

YouthQuest has invited other National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs in the mid-Atlantic region to start classes at their Academies early next year. Next summer, select students from all the programs will be invited to the Foundation’s headquarters in Chantilly, Va., for 40 hours of immersion training in the 3D ThinkLink Lab.

If you would like to make a contribution to keep this life-changing educational program growing, click here to donate or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.