South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy – The YouthQuest Foundation

The YouthQuest Foundation Year in Review: 2019

December 27, 2019 stevep Promo

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 7^th and 8^th graders at iTech Preparatory did 3D scanning of 19^th-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

YouthQuest Charity Golf tourney, Trump National Golf Course, Sterling, VA, on Monday, August 5, 2019.

[Show picture list]

YouthQuest Scholarship Winner: ‘Nothing Is Beyond My Reach’

July 10, 2019 stevep Promo

YouthQuest scholarship winners Ka’Dejah Riley, Hunter Lusby and Naomi Perez at 3D ThinkLink Vocational orientation at UNC-Charlotte

The latest students to earn scholarships in the YouthQuest Foundation’s essay competition say our 3D ThinkLink class showed them how to achieve their dreams.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduates Hunter Lusby, Naomi Perez and Ka’Dejah Riley won $1,000 apiece to continue their education and stay on course for success in life. The scholarships were announced at the academy’s commencement ceremony in June.

Since 2013, more than 300 underserved teens have completed 3D ThinkLink training at National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs, where we use an introductory class in 3D design and printing as a vehicle to teach both STEM-related job skills and important life skills such as problem solving, persistence and creative thinking.

Twenty-five ChalleNGe cadets have earned a total of $15,500 in scholarships for essays they wrote about the personal impact of their 3D ThinkLink experience.

The contest judge, New York Times bestselling novelist and longtime YouthQuest supporter John Gilstrap, noted the quality of the essays submitted in the most recent round of competition was significantly better than in previous class cycles. “Of them all, three stood out to me,” he said.

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet Naomi Perez with other 3D ThinkLink students at Vocational Orientation at Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte, NC — *Naomi Perez at Vocational Orientation*

Naomi Perez wrote in her essay that learning about 3D printing helped her overcome the self-doubt she had felt all her life.

Naomi was raised by her grandfather, an auto mechanic who taught her about his trade. Her goal is to join the Air Force and become a mechanical engineer.

“I enjoy putting stuff together,” she wrote.

Naomi said her favorite part of class was helping to assemble and calibrate a new 3D printer with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who visited the SCYCA campus in the spring.

She said she learned so much that when her class went on a Vocational Orientation field trip to the Duncan-Parnell 3D printing center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to see an array of sophisticated, professional 3D printers, “it all seemed easy to me.”

“Now I can proudly say I feel like I’ve accomplished new and helpful things in 3D printing,” she wrote, adding that the scholarship would be “helpful for me to complete my dreams.”

“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,” declared Naomi.

‘I’m Going to Make Something Out of Myself’

Along with classroom work and Vocational Orientation, cadets in our classes are required to do a community service project using their 3D skills.

3D printed tag made for children in hospital by South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy 3D ThinkLink class for community service project — *3D-printed tag from service project*

In his scholarship-winning essay, Hunter Lusby described the satisfaction he felt when he visited a local hospital to teach children about 3D printing and make objects with encouraging messages on them for the kids.

“I’ve always wanted to help children who are in hospitals,” he wrote.

“From seeing how I can help people by creating designs with ‘I Love You’ on it, to realizing that I can do anything and that nothing is beyond my reach,” said Hunter, “It’s boosted my self-esteem.”

Ka’Dejah Riley also gained confidence in herself as a result of her experiences in our 3D ThinkLink class.

“For me being a 16-year-old African-American female from Sumter, South Carolina, I felt like I have always been doubted and looked upon like I am not level-headed,” she explained in her essay.

Ka’Dejah said she used to get into trouble all the time because she could find anything positive that held her attention.

“I always knew I was smart, but I always made the wrong choices growing up,” she wrote.

She went to the ChalleNGe program to turn her life around. The 3D ThinkLink class taught by Germaine Rasberry is where Ka’Dejah said she discovered her “hidden talents.”

Ka’Dejah hopes to put those talents to work in the field of health care, where 3D printing is used for everything from prototyping medical devices to making models for surgeons to study before operating on patients, to creating prosthetics and even replacement body parts.

“Thanks to Mrs. Rasberry, the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, and 3D-Printing, I have the knowledge and ability to be a better me and to live a better life.”

Click Here to Read the Three Winning Essays

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Spring 2019 Scholarship-Winning 3D ThinkLink Student Essays

June 21, 2019 stevep Blog

These students from the 2019 spring class cycle earned $1,000 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.

By Naomi Perez
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

My name is Naomi, Perez. I’m 16 years old. I’m in a military school called SC Youth Challenge Academy. I came to prove everybody who doubted me wrong all my life. I’ve had people tell me don’t reach for stuff you later on won’t be able to accomplish. I’ve always been determined but also constantly doubted to the point where I question myself everyday if I should go for it or not. I’ve always liked to do right no matter how hard it would be. I would always try and put my best to it. Now I can proudly say I feel like I’ve accomplished new and helpful things in 3D printing.

3D Printing is useful in many ways in this world. In my life 3D printing became an open opportunity where I was able to concentrate and be able to use my creativity my mindset was all in for it.

I learned so much I would’ve never thought or expected to know or even understand. It was different when we went out on the field trip to Duncan Parnell. I’ve been learning so much in class that when I went out to the trip I felt like I was a part of it. I would look at all the machines and the 3D printing models and it all seemed easy to me.

It also became a routine for me to the point where I was just ready for school to end so I can go to 3D printing class. My favorite part of it was when we all helped to build the 3D printing machine. I learned where the parts came from and where they were made. I honestly owe it all to Mr. Meeks. He was there through it all feeding us information and knowledge about 3D printing. He would inform us about everything we needed to know.

My plans are to join the Air Force as a mechanical engineer. I enjoy putting stuff together. I was raised by my grandpa. He’s an auto mechanic and he has taught me everything I’ve needed to know in mechanics. For me this scholarship would be so great and helpful for me to complete my dreams and accomplish my goals. Because 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.

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By Ka’Dejah Riley
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

I always knew I was smart, but I always made the wrong choices growing up. Growing up I didn’t put my mind to work in a positive way as much as I should have. Being in 3D printing has helped me explore further talents I never knew I had. 3D printing has helped me to find and utilize my unique assets.

When I was younger I really couldn’t find anything positive that grasped my attention. It’s seemed as if the only thing that caught my attention was trouble, it seemed so easy to find. Me being so gullible and naive, I did things people told me to do, believing them when they told me I wouldn’t get caught up in mischief. I regret most of the things I did in the past. Looking back, I wish I would’ve done better. For me to right my wrongs I came to South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, where I found out about 3D printing and discovered my hidden talents.

Mrs. Rasberry introduced me and some other cadets to 3D printing. Mrs. Rasberry taught us the basics and from there we explored, and put our creative side to work. Mr. Tom Meeks taught us how to take apart and put together a 3D printer, and he imparted some his knowledge with us about 3D printing. I visited Duncan-Parnell and UNC in Charlotte North, Carolina.

For me being a 16 year old African-American female from Sumter, South Carolina, I felt like I have always been doubted and looked upon like I am not level-headed. 3D printing has helped me to understand I’m not here to please other people I’m here to live for me, and to make the best out what I have. I am so unique and creative in many ways I didn’t even realize. Thanks to 3D printing, I’m going home with knowledge I didn’t have before. I plan on pursuing 3D printing in the future.

I want to go in the medical field, and make prosthetic body parts. I will work with a 3D printer called a bio-printer to print artificial living tissue. 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, I’m going to utilize everything I have been taught. Thanks to Mrs. Rasberry, The South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, and 3D printing, I have the knowledge and ability to be a better me and to live a better life.

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By Hunter Lusby
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

I’ve always loved the thought of printing objects of my design. Now that I actually have a chance, it doesn’t feel real, like a fantasy or a dream. Then I look at my creation as it prints from the case up and I realize, this isn’t a dream. It’s reality.

3D printing has helped me realize many things. From seeing how I can help people by creating designs with “I Love You” on it, to realizing that I can do anything and that nothing is beyond my reach. It’s boosted my self-esteem because I actually got chosen for this. Then the thought of being able to go to Virginia to represent the whole Academy in 3D printing? That’s definitely a confidence builder.

One way that I can use what I’ve learned is through community service. From teaching children the fundamentals of 3D printing, to actually creating objects for kids. I’ve always wanted to help children who are in hospitals. With 3D printing, I could make them little teddy bears with encouraging messages on them. 3D printing is very useful in many ways. I believe this is the future of building technology.

If I was to be chosen to go to Virginia, it would honestly change my life. I could learn how to become better and advance my skills. Being chosen would also help me in life with finding a job. And with that job, I could influence others with my creations, therefore making the world a happier place.

Scholarship Contest Judge Praises Student Essays

December 28, 2018 stevep Blog

3D ThinkLink scholarship essay contest winner Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega with Freestate ChalleNGe Academy instructor Jamarr Dennis and YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks

Awarding scholarships is YouthQuest’s primary means of helping at-risk youth pursue job training or higher education after they complete our 3D ThinkLink class.

Twenty-two graduates of National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs have earned a total of $12,500 in scholarships since 2013 for essays they wrote about our training’s impact on their lives.

The latest winners are Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, Caleb Pearson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy and Chigaru Todd from the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Each of them earned $1,000 to use for their continued education. All three were honored at ceremonies in mid-December at the end of their 22-week class cycle.

Author John Gilstrap, essay contest judge — *Author and contest judge John Gilstrap*

New York Times bestselling novelist John Gilstrap, author of the acclaimed Jonathan Grave thriller series, is the contest judge. He said he was pleased by the increase in the quality and quantity of the essays in this round of competition.

This was the first class cycle since John took part in an all-day meeting with the YouthQuest staff during the summer to discuss improving the results of the scholarship contest. It was part of the application process for the Drucker Prize, an award named for management expert Peter Drucker that recognizes innovation by nonprofit organizations.

Using the Drucker Institute’s resources, we took steps aimed at generating more high-quality essays including; telling cadets about the scholarship opportunity earlier in the class cycle, doubling the prize amount from $500 to $1,000, and providing clearer guidance for students and teachers.

John recorded some short videos to give students advice about writing their essays. He urged them not to turn in a laundry list of the cool things they made and saw.

“What I want to read about is how the 3D ThinkLink experience has affected your life,” he told them, “what it’s taught you about success and failure.”

‘My Path in Life Is Not Ultimately Decided by My Mistakes’

When Caleb Pearson first heard about 3D printing a few years ago, he assumed that it required “genius level skills in mathematics.” Caleb, who said he was never very good at math, was pleased to discover that he was able to create a 3D object after just three lessons in our class at South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

3D ThinkLInk scholarship winner Caleb Pearson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks at Immersion Lab Week November 2018 — *Caleb Pearson with YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks in Lab*

Caleb explained in his scholarship-winning essay that our training also taught him a larger lesson.

“The key phrase during the class: mistakes are not final, nothing is so bad that you can’t come back from it,” he wrote. “I know I’ve learned that my path in life is not ultimately decided by my mistakes and that I am still working on a few that I’ve made. I know that I will still make more of them in future, hopefully not too many, and I’ll learn from those, too.”

“Right now I’m happy with the doors I’ve opened,” added Caleb, who hopes those open doors will lead to a career in engineering. He said his Vocational Orientation visit to the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in October “really solidified my resolve to pursue that career path.”

In his essay – and in this video recorded during Immersion Lab Week in November – Caleb recalled meeting Nathan Lambert, a graduate research assistant who helped lead the tour at UNCC. Like Caleb, Nathan said he struggled with math in high school and, in fact, he barely graduated. But his determination to become an engineer after six years in the military drove him to eventually become a top grad student in his department.

That was something “I could really relate to but had never heard before,” Caleb wrote.

Hearing Nathan’s story “lifted my spirits about my future in the engineering field,” he said.

‘I No Longer See Things With a Simple Mind’

Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega’s 3D ThinkLink experience didn’t start as well as Caleb’s did.

Eric Smith explains various types of welding to Cadet Stephanie Alvarez-Vega during the Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery for our 3D ThinkLink students from Maryland's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy on October 9, 2018 in Baltimore. — *Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega at The Foundery*

“At first I wasn’t sure if I had made the right choice” by picking 3D instead of the welding program at Freestate, she wrote.

“I was kind of disappointed in the first 3D printing class because it was boring and nothing seemed to catch my attention and I wanted to drop out of the class as soon as possible!” Sthephanie recalled.

Her thinking turned around when the Freestate class visited The Foundery, an industrial makerspace in Baltimore, for Vocational Orientation.

While the cadets were looking at the many kinds of machines Foundery members can use, Sthephanie met Festus Jones III, a local craftsman who was working on laser-engraving projects. She asked him what he was doing, and he spent lots of time explaining how he creates elaborate designs and etches them into mirrors with a laser to make things like lighted signs for storefronts. He encouraged her to be confident in her artistic skills and learn the technical skills to create products she can sell.

“This made me change my perspective and made me realize how cool and unique things can be when you learn to build things on your own and you get a feeling of satisfaction when doing it,” said Sthephanie. She also talked about her “lightbulb moment” in this video from November Immersion Lab.

Looking back on her time in our class, Sthephanie said she appreciates how 3D printing lets her use her imagination and “think freely”

“I now realize that I made a great choice to stay with 3D printing because it got me to see the world and what revolves around me differently,” Sthephanie wrote. “I no longer see things with a simple mind.”

3D ThinkLink scholarship winner Chigaru Todd with 3D printers at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy — *Chigaru Todd with 3D printers at CGYCA*

“One of my ultimate life goals is to be able to help my father financially by becoming self-sufficient,” wrote Capital Guardian’s Chigaru Todd, who grew up without a mom. “I watched him struggle to raise me as a young female. I believe that everything I do is in honor of my father.”

Chigaru described being “intrigued” by Moment of Inspiration 3D design software and feeling “empowered” after completing the first project in class, a personalized keychain tag.

“I plan to take the skills I learned from 3D printing and utilize them in my personal life,” Chigaru continued. “I hope to design personalized 3D print items that will provide another stream of income as an entrepreneur.”

A New Dimension in Performance

The key to YouthQuest’s future success is providing the at-risk teens we serve with more opportunities for vocational and academic achievement.

We’ve made our scholarship competition a priority because that’s where we can have the biggest immediate impact in helping former high school dropouts become successful, productive adults.

The changes we’ve made in the contest grew out of the discussions we had in crafting our application for the Drucker Prize, which rewards nonprofits that best exemplify business management expert Peter Drucker’s definition of innovation: “Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”

In doing so, we had to draw on the same critical thinking and problem-solving skills we teach at-risk youth through the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. We believe our innovative ideas will create a new dimension of performance for our organization and our students.

We hope the outstanding essays we received during the latest class cycle are an indication that the changes we’ve made will significantly increase the number of students who compete for scholarships, and the quality of their entries, in 2019 and beyond.

Click Here to Read the Three Winning Essays

YouthQuest’s Five Favorite Memories of 2018

December 20, 2018 stevep Blog

3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy at University of Maryland Terrapin Works April 2018 Vocational Orientation

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We thank our supporters for making these moments possible through their contributions.
You can support our work by:
Making a donation through our secure PayPal link
Choosing us as your designated charity on AmazonSmile
Registering on Bidding for Good so you can take part in our online auctions, sign up for our golf tournament, and support other upcoming fundraisers
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As we wrap up an eventful year filled with accomplishments, here’s a look back at the YouthQuest Foundation’s most memorable moments.

Success for More At-Risk Teens

Sixty-five cadets from National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs completed our 3D ThinkLink training this year. We taught these at-risk youth to think differently about failure and success as they prepare to enter the job market or pursue higher education.

3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy receive awards December 2018 — *Click picture to see more photos*

Our classes help students develop sought-after STEM skills through hands-on experience with professional-level CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, 3D printers and computers. In addition, the trial-and-error nature of 3D printing teaches our students about critical thinking, problem-solving, perseverance, resilience, creativity and collaboration. These “soft skills” are even more valuable to employers than the technical skills.

3D ThinkLink training takes place during the two annual class cycles at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy and the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Instructors from the schools come to our lab in Chantilly, Virginia, twice a year to update their skills and help us constantly improve the 3D ThinkLink experience.

Nearly 300 ChalleNGe cadets have completed 3D ThinkLink training since we launched the project in 2013. We have reached many more young people through our partnerships with the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families at schools in Fairfax and Annandale, Virginia, for students with autism and other special needs; and with Horizons Hampton Roads, serving low-income children in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

This year, we rewarded 13 cadets for their outstanding performance in class by bringing them to our lab for a week of advanced training. Seven students earned scholarships for the essays they wrote about the impact the 3D ThinkLink experience had on their lives. The 2018 essay competition winners are: Caleb Pearson ($1,000) from SCYCA; Chigaru Todd ($1,000) and Jacob Foote ($500) from CGYCA; Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega ($1,000), Bradley Berry, Trevor Haney and Dante Isom ($500) from Freestate.

A Chance Encounter, a Lightbulb Moment

We put a lot of planning into Vocational Orientation to make sure our students get the most out of the events, which show them how 3D printing is used at businesses and universities. But sometimes the best parts of these field trips are unscripted. Freestate Instructor Jamarr Dennis recalled the moment during a Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery in Baltimore that “the lightbulb went on” for Cadet Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega when she struck up a conversation with craftsman/entrepreneur Festus Jones.

Vocational Orientation and Inspiration

Like Sthephanie, South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Caleb Pearson attended Immersion Lab training and earned a scholarship in the essay contest. And like her, Caleb was unexpectedly inspired by someone he met during Vocational Orientation. Nathan Lambert, a top graduate student, helped guide the SCYCA group through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Mechanical Engineering Department in October. Toward the end of the tour, Nathan told the cadets that he’d hated high school and barely graduated, but after serving in the military, he discovered his passion for engineering and learned to excel in college. “It made me feel really confident,” said Caleb, an aspiring engineer who once struggled in school. “If this man has made it this far in his life … and I want to be exactly where he is, I can do it.”

Stepping Up With Loudoun Youth

The YouthQuest Foundation has been the prize money sponsor for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition every year since 2012. The contest, run by Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services, challenges teams of teens in Loudoun County, Virginia, to identify problems in their communities, then develop and implement solutions.

We have been so impressed by Step Up’s results that we doubled our contribution to $5,000 this year. YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made the announcement at the preliminary round of competition for more than 60 teams on April 5.

This year’s winning team, Princess Packages, started a volunteer organization to lift the spirits of young girls who suffer from sadness and isolation during long hospital stays. Other top-10 team projects included a tutoring and mentoring program for elementary school students, a chatbot app to help immigrants to improve their English language skills and study for the U.S. citizenship exam, and a networking service to connect teens with employment and volunteer opportunities.

Teams for next year’s Step Up contest have already formed and we can’t wait to see what projects they create in the spring.

Recognition for Innovation

YouthQuest Operations Manager Juan Louro, President Lynda Mann and Communications Director Steve Pendlebury send Drucker Prize semifinal round submission — *Operations Manager Juan Louro, President Lynda Mann and Communications Director Steve Pendlebury send Drucker Prize semifinal submission form*

We are honored to have been chosen as one of the 50 semifinalists for this year’s Drucker Prize, a $100,000 award for innovation by nonprofit organizations.

Our presentation about the 3D ThinkLink Initiative was selected from among more than 500 entries nationwide for the prize, which recognizes nonprofits that best exemplify business management legend Peter Drucker’s definition of innovation: “Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”

This was our third year competing for the Drucker Prize and each time, we get a little farther. We look forward to entering the contest again in 2019.

These excerpts from our Drucker Prize presentation sum up the principles that will continue to drive our organization in the year ahead.

The YouthQuest Foundation exists to help America’s at-risk youth become successful adults by changing the way they think about their past failures and providing opportunities for them to fulfill their potential through education and life-changing experiences.

The at-risk youth we serve – minorities, kids with disabilities and those from low-income families – make up a disproportionate share of America’s dropouts. They’re on a path that leads to poverty and even prison.

The kids we serve once saw themselves as failures. We help change their perception of failure, and of themselves, by offering an innovative way to get them on course to a better life.

Fall 2018 Scholarship-Winning 3D ThinkLink Student Essays

December 18, 2018 stevep Blog

These students from the 2018 fall class cycle earned $1,000 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.

By Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega
Freestate ChalleNGe Academy

Well I’m going to be honest. At first I wasn’t sure if I had made the right choice about picking 3D Printing over Welding. I was kind of disappointed in the first 3D printing class because it was boring and nothing seemed to catch my attention and I wanted to drop out of the class as soon as possible! Then we ended up going on a field trip and we went to a place called The Foundery in Baltimore. During this trip I got to see a lot of interesting thing such as water jet cutters, blacksmithing, woodworking, welding, laser engraving and a lot of other things. This made me change my perspective and made me realize how cool and unique things can be when you learn to build things on your own and you get a feeling of satisfaction when doing it.

The YouthQuest 3D printing program has helped me think outside of the box. It helped me change the way I look at simple things like lines, shapes, and sizes. 3D printing made me realize that I don’t have to be a kid to have an imagination and being a part of 3D printing allows me to think freely. It allows me to use the Moment of Inspiration program to use my creativity and put it into practice. This program allows me to make a design and then bring it to life. I got to see 3D designs on a computer screen and comparing it to when it is actually in my hands is a great experience no words can describe.

Another great experience I had was going to the Harford Community College and getting to see all the different types of printers that exist and asking questions about how they work and what they do affects our future in great ways. Technology is a big part of my generation and being able to see a printer that is able to create limbs for people is so amazing.

The 3D program is a good program for people who have a lot of creativity and want to see things come to life. With 3D printing, designs are very complex and they are tiny layers sticking together. It starts from the bottom and comes up layer by layer. With 3D printing you have a freedom of design and customizing at the same time. But this program allows you to use less shaping materials then traditional manufacturing methods. I believe that 3D printing was a great opportunity for me to be a part of something. I got a chance to see things differently than most of the cadets here and I appreciate it. I now realize that I made a great choice to stay with 3D printing because it got me to see the world and what revolves around me differently. I no longer see things with a simple mind. I got to have a different experience and I would do it all over again if I had a chance to.

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By Caleb Pearson
South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

When I was twelve or thirteen years old I caught my first glimpse of 3D printing. I saw a man on the news with a 3D printed prosthetic arm writing his own name and that’s when I started to see 3D printing everywhere. It was being mentioned in magazines to describe the structure of certain products and I saw the terminology used in shows and some movies I watched. I never knew how the printing was done or what did it but now thanks to the 3D printing program hosted by the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy I can understand that process much better.

The YouthQuest program changed my concept of what 3D printing is into something I never thought to consider. When I first thought about how manufacturers used computers to design their products I thought it took genius level skills in mathematics to complete. Contrary to that belief it’s so simple I learned how to create a 3D object in just three lessons. The YouthQuest program uses nouns and verbs and a little math here and there to create objects in the four viewing platforms. My first project was to make a cookie cutter by extruding two rings and then using another tool to sharpen its edges. It seems like a simple task but I had a blast just doing that with the assistance of the instructional videos, which are very helpful in my opinion. The key phrase during the class: mistakes are not final, nothing is so bad that you can’t come back from it.

The 3D printing program altered my view of that itself, but that phrase changed my mentality towards my reality. I signed up for this 3D program thinking it would teach me how to make and design cool things. I thought they would hand me some papers that told me how to do everything but I was sorely mistaken. The teachers, both physical and digital, get in-depth with the students on issues they might have or run into while working with the program and how to correct them. I was happy to see that the bottom left corner of the menu screen had an “Undo” button when I made a mistake, it makes things so much easier to work with.

Integrating this form of manufacturing into my lifestyle seems a lot more plausible now that I’ve seen it used in the career field I’d like to pursue, which is engineering in general at the moment. The 3D printing team took a field trip to a company called Duncan-Parnell who manufactures and services their machines. We learned about the many different forms of 3D printing and the different materials they can print. I used to believe that carbon-fiber was the toughest material to work with but it turns out their company has a machine that actually prints with that material. My mind was blown by this point of our trip but it got even better.

After the business visit, we went off to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The staff at UNCC took us on a tour with the engineering program. The aerospace program had a rocket with a 3D printed nose cone and rover which they used at a competition which was overseen by NASA. They had a crew of over 15 people which was used to make just that one rocket. I loved the next part where they took us all through the machining and 3D printing facilities, which had a temperature-controlled room which I had never been into. One of the guides for our group shared his story of how he had never gotten that big of an education in math, which I could really relate to but had never heard before, lifted my spirits about my future in the engineering field. I guess that’s what really solidified my resolve to pursue that career path and is how it will affect my life.

I know I’ve learned that my path in life is not ultimately decided by my mistakes and that I am still working on a few that I’ve made. I know that I will still make more of them in future, hopefully not too many, and I’ll learn from those too. Right now I’m happy with the doors I’ve opened and the ones I’m still working on opening to better my future. I hope my efforts pay off and I accomplish everything I put my mind to. Thank you SCYCA for the opportunity to grow into a better person

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By Chigaru Todd
Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy

I truly appreciate being chosen for this potential scholarship. My name is Chigaru A. Todd and I attend Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. I am 16 years old and I live in Northeast, Washington, DC. I believe I should be chosen for this scholarship because I have demonstrated hard-work ethics, responsibility, and the willingness to learn and further my knowledge. I am a very creative individual with the readiness to work and achieve great possibilities. Albert Einstein once said, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” While attending Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy I was given the opportunity to experience a training which involved a 3D ThinkLink course. This course consists of a program called Moment of Inspiration. While using this program we are able to build objects and produce them on our 3D printing machine.

The program was taught to me in a step by step process. At the end of this process each student in my class was able to build their own 3D key chain. Each student completed their key chain. When I finished mine I felt empowered. I was very intrigued by the 3D software and what it detailed. The wise words of Audrey Hepburn, “Nothing is impossible, for the word itself says I’m possible” inspired me to continue on with 3D ThinkLink training and the outstanding growth it brought to my leadership goals.

My fellow cadets and I were greeted with such gratitude and enthusiasm, it made my peers and I feel as though we were on top of the world. To be offered a scholarship of this magnitude at this point in my life is a blessing. Being able to use computers for graphic arts and be recognized for it is a dream come true. Graphic arts is something that has always fascinated me. I plan to stay focused and further my career in the graphic engineering field.

I remember my father always telling me, “You are so intelligent and if you use your mind for good, you can really go far in life.” I always think about him saying this in my mind and use it for motivation. If not for my father I probably, never mind the probably, I would not be where I am right now. He has inspired me to obtain and achieve the unachievable. If I receive this scholarship, it would make my father proud and it would also make me proud. It would be an honor and a blessing to receive this scholarship. Thank you very much for an opportunity such as this that you have given me.

I believe that you must be willing to change your perspective to seek ultimate opportunities. Prior to coming into Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy I had no intentions of participating in any extracurricular activities, but I found interest in 3D Printing and Systems. 3D printing has been an outlet I’ve used to be creative while also gaining knowledge of the next generation’s technology. Since the start of the course I have learned not only the concept of 3D printing, but how to come with up an idea, design it, and turn it into reality. I often had troubles in school understanding key points, but since being a part of 3D printing, my way of thinking has gradually changed. I am very grateful to be able to express myself now through my work.

After graduating Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy, I plan to return as a peer mentor to encourage those who are in the position I was in. After that, I plan to enlist in the Army. My overall goal is to enlist into the military as a Public Affairs Specialist while majoring in Media Communications and Hospitality Management. I plan to take the skills I learned from 3D printing and utilize them in my personal life. I hope to design personalized 3D print items that will provide another stream of income as an entrepreneur.

One of my ultimate life goals is to be able to help my father financially by becoming self-sufficient. Growing up in a single parent household, my father has been the most influential person in life. I watched him struggle to raise me as a young female. I believe that everything I do is in honor of my father.

He instilled in me knowledge and gave me the guidance that I will need to be independent. I am excited for the future and thankful for what 3D printing has given me.

At-Risk Teens Learn Life Lessons in YouthQuest’s 3D Lab

December 11, 2018 stevep News

3D ThinkLink Lab Week November 2018 students

For some of our top students, Immersion Lab Week is both the culmination of their 3D ThinkLink experience and a springboard for them to leap into the next stage of their lives.

Thirteen cadets from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy traveled to YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in Chantilly, Virginia, for advanced training this year.

3D ThinkLink students do 3D scanning experiments during Immersion Lab Week in May — *Students from Maryland, DC, and South Carolina do 3D scanning experiments during Immersion Lab Week in May*

3D ThinkLink instructors at the academies select deserving cadets twice a year, near the end of the ChalleNGe programs’ class cycles. Coming so close to graduation, Lab Week gives the at-risk teens we serve a chance to see how far they’ve come and focus on what’s next.

“We do this to see how we’ve done in teaching the students, to introduce them to new experiences they didn’t get in their regular classes at the academies, and to show them where they can go from here,” explained YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who leads the advanced training sessions.

On one level, Lab Week is a reward for the cadets’ outstanding performance in 3D class. Spending their days immersed in 3D learning and creativity is a welcome break from the regimented routine of their academies. Plus, they’re delighted to stay in a nice hotel instead of their barracks for a few nights.

“It helped me expand my imagination,” said Freestate Cadet Jessie Hickman. “We can make just about anything we can imagine. It’s really cool.”

Freestate Cadets Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega and Jessie Hickman with 3D ThinkLink instructor Aaron Ancrum at November Immersion Lab Week — *Freestate Cadets Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega and Jessie Hickman with instructor Aaron Ancrum at November Lab Week*

Our lab is where Jessie and his fellow students got their first chance to work with a 3D scanner and a full-color powder-bed 3D printer last month.

“When I found out you can 3D print what you scan, I wanted to take the most complicated thing and see if I could print it,” he said.

The November Lab group evaluated the new 3D scanning features of Sony’s Xperia XZ1 phone. In May, students worked with several kinds of handheld scanners, cameras and Cappasity 3D visualization software. Both groups experimented with various scanning and lighting techniques to develop “best practices” recommendations for the manufacturers, which they presented in panel discussion videos.

Soft Skills and Hard Work

Along with exploring 3D scanning, both Lab Week groups dug deeper into the capabilities of their Moment of Inspiration design software, going beyond what they had time to do during their on-campus classes. They took on some challenging projects and, in the process of completing them, had to practice the life skills that are at the heart of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative.

“3D changes your perspective on things. If you want to design something, you have to think about it before you start, plan it all out in your head,” explained Capital Guardian Cadet Ashley Walker in our lab last month. “It taught me patience because I’m not a patient person. Don’t get frustrated with every new thing, because you can do it!”

South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Cassie Myers works with other 3D ThinkLink students to test a handheld 3D scanner during Lab Week in May — *Cassie Myers works with other cadets to test a handheld 3D scanner during Immersion Lab Week in May*

“I like hands-on stuff, so being here I can actually involve myself by working,” said South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Cassie Myers during her week in the lab in May. “I used to struggle a lot with working with people. This has helped me with that. We have to work together to get a project done. Teamwork makes the dream work!”

Freestate’s Trevor Haney, who earned a YouthQuest scholarship in June for the essay he wrote about his 3D ThinkLink experience, also enjoyed getting to know and work with students from other ChalleNGe programs. In addition to teamwork, the program taught him our most important lesson: Failure is not final.

“Before, if something didn’t turn out right or the way I wanted, I would just give up,” said Trevor. “But being in 3D and being here these past couple of days, I’ve learned you can re-do something. And if it fails, change something. It will fix the whole thing and make it better each time.”

Persistence, collaboration, innovative thinking, problem solving and communication are among the “soft skills” our program instills in at-risk youth, along with the “hard skills” of using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software and 3D printers. It’s a combination that’s prized by employers.

A scan of 3D ThinkLink student Daniel Fickens from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy made with a Sony Xperia phone during Immersion Lab Week in November 2018 — *A scan of Daniel Fickens made during Lab Week in November*

Students like Daniel Fickens from SCYCA, who wants a career in the construction industry, know their 3D ThinkLink skills will strengthen their resumes. When they’re asked to give examples of their qualifications in job interviews, they’ll be able to talk about what they did during Lab Week.

“At first, looking at the stuff you had built, I never thought it would be me getting on a computer and doing it myself,” said Daniel after seeing 3D-printed architectural models of homes and commercial buildings in our lab. “Knowing 3D printing can help me in construction moving forward.”

Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega was hesitant to take our class at first because she’d already been picked for the welding program at Freestate.

“I’m glad I didn’t choose welding because I wouldn’t have had all these great experiences in 3D class. This is going to help me a whole lot in finding a job,” she said. “Like putting this on my resume. Imagine someone who’s bilingual with 3D printing experience. I have more of a chance to have a good career.”

‘Break Things, Make Things and Try Things’

The students in the May Lab group heard some valuable career-planning advice during their visit to 3D printer manufacturer M3D.

J.J. Biel-Goebel leads a tour of M3D for Lab Week students in May 2018 — *J.J. Biel-Goebel leads a tour of M3D for Lab Week students in May*

“Break things, make things and try things. And don’t be afraid to fail at all because that’s where you’re going to learn the most,” Chief Operating Officer J.J. Biel-Goebel told the cadets as he showed them around M3D’s research and production facility in Fulton, Maryland. “And don’t give up. That’s the other important thing. Keep bashing your head against the wall until you figure it out.”

He explained that “we fail a lot” in the process of prototyping new kinds of 3D printers – and each failure leads to an improvement in the next version of the design.

Biel-Goebel said that’s why he asks all job applicants to talk about something they’ve made. He wants them to describe what worked and didn’t work, and what changes they made.

Hiring managers are looking for people who “learn how to learn,” he continued. Taking on projects that require you to teach yourself new skills, as students do throughout their 3D ThinkLink experience, makes you more valuable to an employer.

“Nobody is going to get it right the first time, every time,” he said. “I want someone who knows that, knows what their limitations are, knows what they have to learn, and keeps trying and asking questions.”

‘I Never Thought I’d Experience Anything Like This’

If they come away from our 3D ThinkLink training with nothing else, we want the at-risk teens in our classes to feel better about themselves and know they can succeed, despite past failures.

At the end of last month’s Immersion Lab, cadets talked about their favorite projects from the week. Capital Guardian’s Ashley Walker held up an ornament she created with a small light glowing behind a 3D-printed panel that features Looney Toons character Marvin the Martian with hearts and a poem.

“Marvin looks mean, but he’s not,” told her fellow Lab students. “I tend to get to a place where I get so frustrated that I take out my frustrations on the people I love. … I can be mean sometimes, but this is a lot of love.”

Then she read her poem:

I loved you yesterday
I love you still
I always have
I always will

“I’m grateful that I chose to take the 3D class because back home I never had the chance to experience anything like this,” said Ashley. “I really appreciate it and I never thought I’d experience anything like this. I didn’t know it was possible.”

More Photos From 2018 Immersion Labs

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Students Find Inspiration in Vocational Orientation

October 29, 2018 stevep News

Ian McCormick leads a Vocational Orientation tour of Duncan-Parnell's 3D printing facility in Charlotte, NC, for 3D ThinkLink students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy

Visiting colleges and businesses where 3D printing is used helps our 3D ThinkLink students understand the real-world value of the skills we teach them.

This month, cadets from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy took part in Vocational Orientation events that showed them many potential career paths involving 3D design and printing. They also met inspiring people who encouraged them to aim high as they set their sights on the future.

ChalleNGe Academies are military-style alternative schools that offer at-risk teens a second chance. Most of the students dropped out or were kicked out of regular high schools. So the cadets in our 3D ThinkLink classes probably didn’t expect to have much in common with someone like Nathan Lambert, a top graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Graduate student Nathan Lambert with 3D ThinkLink students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy on a Vocational Orientation tour of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Department of Mechanical Engineering — *Nathan Lambert leads a tour at UNCC*

But as Nathan helped lead a tour of the university’s Mechanical Engineering Department on October 17, the SCYCA cadets discovered that he’d hated high school and barely managed to graduate. After six years in the military, which included time as a paratrooper in Afghanistan, he came home with new life experiences and a sense of self-discipline. Nathan decided to become a mechanical engineer, even though it meant going back to school for years.

College is different from high school, Nathan told the cadets, because you have more control over your schedule and you can focus on subjects you’re passionate about. He started at a community college and eventually enrolled at UNCC, where his wife Brittney Lambert is also a mechanical engineering grad student. The Lamberts both urged the cadets to think about going to college, even if – like Nathan – they’d never considered it in high school.

UNCC Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Jeff Raquet, who specializes in 3D printing, introduced the cadets to the school’s rocketry team. The students showed the cadets the rocket they’re building for this year’s NASA Student Launch Competition, a project that involves 3D design and printing as well as traditional subtractive manufacturing and many other aspects of engineering. The competitors must design, build and test a reusable rocket that carries a payload a mile high and returns safely to the ground. UNCC won $2,500 for placing second in last year’s competition and is aiming for the top prize of $5,000 this time.

3D ThinkLink students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy watch a 3D printer work whyile visiting Duncan-Parnell in Charlotte, NC, for Vocational Orientation — *SCYCA Cadets get a close look at one of Duncan-Parnell’s 3D printers*

Also during their visit to Charlotte, the SCYCA cadets toured Duncan-Parnell’s office to see a wide variety of the latest 3D printers. The company has hosted many Vocational Orientation events for our students and received YouthQuest’s Community Partner of the Year award in 2016.

The Freestate 3D ThinkLink students got an impromptu lesson in entrepreneurship while they toured The Foundery in Baltimore. As staffer Eric Smith was showing them the machines, some Foundery members struck up conversations with the cadets and told them what they’ve been able to accomplish by using the industrial makerspace as their own workshop.

There’s no need to get involved in shady hustles on the street, they said, when you can use The Foundery’s equipment to turn a few dollars’ worth of raw material into custom-made products worth hundreds. One craftsman showed off a $13 mirror that he’d laser-engraved with his own design to create a sign he would sell for 10 times as much to a local barbershop.

Eric Smith, who led a Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery for our 3D ThinkLink students from Maryland's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy on October 9, 2018, shows acrylic panels that were etched by a laser cutter. — *The Foundery’s Eric Smith explains laser engraving to Freestate cadets*

Eric reinforced the message, telling the cadets that what’s most valuable is knowledge. He reminded the cadets that the CAD (computer-aided design) skills they use for 3D printing can also be applied to things like computer-controlled cutting and engraving machines. And you don’t set your product’s price based on how long it takes to make it, he said, but on what your knowledge of how to make it is worth to your customer.

One place where students can gain that valuable knowledge is Harford Community College, where the Freestate cadets began their day of Vocational Orientation on October 9. Professor David Antol showed our students the school’s 3D printing lab and explained the opportunities available for them to build on the skills they’re learning in our introductory 3D ThinkLink course.

David Antol, Coordinator for Applied Technology Programs at Harford Community College, led a Vocational Orientation tour of the school's 3D printing lab for our 3D ThinkLink students from Maryland's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy — *Freestate cadets in Harford Community College’s 3D printing lab*

HCC is one of the few community colleges that emphasizes 3D printing. It offers an associate degree in engineering technology in a program that focuses on applied knowledge of manufacturing processes, along with critical thinking, problem solving and communications skills – all of which are in high demand among employers. The school is also preparing to launch a certificate program in additive manufacturing.

Because HCC offers these programs and is located close to the Freestate campus, it’s an excellent resource for cadets as they make their post-graduation plans.

Like the South Carolina students who visited UNCC, the Capital Guardian cadets’ Vocational Orientation experience included an in-depth look at a major university’s 3D printing operations along with an overview of its mechanical engineering program.

Senior Lab Manager John Fitzell led a Vocational Orientation tour of the University of Maryland's Terrapin Works facilities for 3D ThinkLInk students from DC's Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy — *John Fitzell leads a tour of Terrapin Works*

The students from DC toured the Terrapin Works facilities at the University of Maryland’s main campus in College Park, guided by Senior Lab Manager John Fitzell. He showed them printers that use plastic filament, similar to those they use in class, along with machines that print with specialized materials such as liquid resin, flexible polymers and even metal. Seeing the many different types of printers and the objects they create helped the students understand the applications for each type of 3D printer.

John also took the cadets through some of the labs in Maryland’s recently opened A. James Clark Hall, explaining the projects engineering students complete as they progress through their course of studies, and how they use 3D printing in those projects.

Local Motors National Harbor Customer Engagement Manager Tracye Johnson stands with 3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy in front of a BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) machine — *Tracye Johnson and CGYCA cadets with the BAAM at Local Motors*

One kind of 3D printer Terrapin Works does not have is the BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) machine – a giant device with a print bed that’s seven feet wide and 13 feet long that can make objects up to three feet high. The CGYCA cadets saw that machine during their first stop of the day on October 11, when they visited Local Motors at National Harbor. Local Motors uses the BAAM, along with a huge five-axis milling machine to make Olli, a 3D-printed, self-driving electric shuttle bus.

Besides showing our students how 3D-printed vehicles are made, Local Motors Customer Engagement Manager Tracye Johnson introduced them to e-NABLE. It’s a worldwide project that mobilizes people with 3D printers to make prosthetic hands and arms for people who were born missing fingers or who have lost them due to war, disease or disasters. Tracye encouraged the cadets to think about this and other ways they can use their 3D printing skills to help others.

Vocational Orientation is one of our most important tools for changing the lives of our 3D ThinkLink students. The experiences expand the horizons and spark the imaginations of the at-risk youth we serve. Our foundation is deeply grateful to all the organizations that make these events possible.

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Local Motors Hosts 3D ThinkLink Vocational Orientation

May 15, 2018 stevep Blog

Customer Engagement Manager Tracye Johnson points to the 3D-printed Accessible Olli vehicle during a Vocational Orientation tour of Local Motors in National Harbor, Maryland for 3D ThinkLink students from DC's Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy on April 19, 2018.

We often remind 3D ThinkLink students that the goal of our program isn’t only to teach them about 3D printing. We want them to learn new ways of thinking and be inspired to accomplish things they didn’t think they could do.

That’s why Vocational Orientation is such an important part of the 3D ThinkLink experience. Twice a year, we take students from our 3D classes at the Maryland, South Carolina and the District of Columbia Youth ChalleNGe academies on tours of businesses and schools that use 3D design, scanning and printing.

3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy pose next to the BAAM, a giant 3D printer used to make Local Motors' Accessible Olli self-driving shuttle — *Capital Guardian cadets at Local Motors with BAAM, a giant 3D printer*

The visits show our students how they can apply their 3D skills in STEM career fields and continued education. In addition, these at-risk youth are literally expanding their minds because exposure to new ideas and experiences stimulates the creation of neural connections in their brains.

There’s no doubt that the brains of cadets from DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy were growing as they toured the Local Motors Heritage Showroom and demonstration facility at National Harbor, Maryland on April 19.

Local Motors Customer Engagement Manager Tracye Johnson guided the students through a tour that included hands-on activities to help them understand the technology and thinking that goes into making Accessible Olli, the company’s 3D-printed, self-driving electric shuttle bus. The vehicle introduced at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas looks like the original Olli, which debuted two years ago, but it’s loaded with high-tech systems to assist disabled passengers.

3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe academy do hands-on activities to simulate various disabilities during a Vocational Orientation tour of Local Motors National Harbor on April 19, 2018. — *Hands-on Care Station activities simulate various disabilities*

For instance, Accessible Olli can recognize visually impaired riders and use audio to communicate with them. For hearing-impaired people, it has an array of visual displays and can even understand sign language. There are also special features to meet the needs of passengers with mobility problems or cognitive impairments such as dementia.

Local Motors uses a combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing to make its vehicles. The students saw a room-sized version of the 3D printers they use in class called the BAAM (Big Area Additive Manufacturing) machine, which deposits layer after layer of carbon fiber-reinforced ABS plastic to form Olli’s body parts. Next to the BAAM is a giant five-axis milling machine that smooths the rough surfaces of the 3D-printed parts.

The company pioneered this production method with the Strati, the first 3D-printed electric car, in 2014. Two years later, it rolled out a drone-guided version in partnership with Mouser Electronics. The students got to see both vehicles on display in the Heritage Showroom.

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Kaya Green holds a 3D-printed e-Nable hand assembled during a Vocational Orientation tour of Local Motors National Harbor on April 19, 2018 — *Capital Guardian Cadet Kaya Green holds a 3D-printed e-Nable hand*

Tracye led the cadets through a series of Care Station activities to get them thinking about how people deal with various disabilities and what engineers must consider in designing an autonomous shuttle to serve those customers.

At one station, they had to manipulate a box puzzle toy while blindfolded. At another, students tried to understand what was being said to them while wearing headphones that made hearing impossible. There was an activity to simulate memory problems.

Everyone wanted to try the station demonstrating physical limitations, where they had one of their hands taped up and tried to get the best score in a game of cornhole. Even our Director of Instruction Tom Meeks got into the act, tossing beanbags at the target.

The tour concluded with Tracye introducing the cadets to another project that combines 3D printing and designing devices for the disabled. They assembled 3D-printed pieces to make e-Nable prosthetic hands. Volunteers for the nonprofit organization Enabling the Future use their 3D-printers to create free hands and arms for disabled people around the world.

More Mind-Expanding Vocational Orientation Events

From National Harbor, the Capital Guardian students headed north to College Park to see the University of Maryland’s Terrapin Works 3D printing facilities. Operations Manager Nathanael Carriere showed many different types of printers and explained the various processes each one uses to create 3D objects. The cadets also got a look inside A. James Clark Hall, the UMD Engineering School’s newest building where Terrapin Works has some of its most advanced 3D printers and scanners.

3D ThinkLink students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy visit UNCC's Motorsports Engineering program during Vocational Orientation on April 26, 2018 — *SCYCA students visit UNCC’s Motorsports Engineering program*

The DC students weren’t the only ones who got to see how 3D design and printing can be used to make vehicles. The class from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy visited the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on April 26 to see the North Carolina Motorsports and Automotive Research Center.

Dr. Jeff Raquet of the Mechanical Engineering Department led the tour of the facility that’s filled with race cars, engines and the equipment engineers use to make them. The school is just a few miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway and about 15 percent of all NASCAR engineers are UNCC graduates.

The SCYCA students began their day in Charlotte with a tour of Duncan-Parnell, the winner of our 2016 Community Partner Award, to learn about career opportunities in 3D printer maintenance and support. 3D printing products and services are a big part of the work Duncan-Parnell does with construction companies, architects and engineers. The company also provides service and technical support for the Z450 full-color powder bed printer in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab at our Chantilly, Virginia, headquarters.

Prof. David Antol shows Freestate ChalleNGe Academy 3D ThinkLink students the 3D printing lab at Maryland's Harford Community College during Vocational Orientation on April 17, 2018. — *David Antol shows Freestate students the 3D printing lab at Maryland’s Harford Community College*

Vocational Orientation for the 3D ThinkLink class from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy featured a visit to Harford Community College on April 17. Professor David Antol showed them projects being done in the school’s 3D printing lab and explained the HCC’s Engineering Technology program, which will soon include a certification in 3D printing.

A favorite Vocational Orientation destination for the Freestate students is The Foundery, an industrial makerspace in Baltimore. And the highlight of the tour is always the demonstration done by blacksmith Sam Salvati. Sam says using a forge, anvil and hammer is the original 3D printing. The Freestate cadets got a workout transforming a bar of steel into a large nail with their initials stamped on it.

This class cycle was the first time our students have been to Local Motors, UNCC and Harford Community College. It won’t be the last. The experiences they gave us made this the best series of Vocational Orientation events we’ve done since we started the 3D ThinkLink Initiative five years ago.

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3D ThinkLink Teachers Meet, Learn and Share in Training

February 22, 2018 stevep News

3D ThinkLink teachers completed training in February 2018

The YouthQuest Foundation hosted its largest gathering of teachers for 3D ThinkLink training this month.

Instructors from Maryland’s Freestate, the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academies joined those from the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families for three daylong sessions in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab at our headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia.

“Teacher training was especially significant this time,” said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks. “The cross-pollination of project ideas from the five different sites using our 3D ThinkLink curriculum was very helpful to our new teachers and rejuvenating to our experienced teachers.”

Germaine Rasberry and Ikeya Robinson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy set up a PowerSpec 3D printer during teacher training in YouthQuest's 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in Chantilly, Virginia, on Feb. 7, 2018. — *Germaine Rasberry and Ikeya Robinson set up a 3D printer*

The group was evenly split between first-timers and veterans. We were especially pleased to welcome Germaine Rasberry and Ikeya Robinson from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, which is reactivating its 3D ThinkLink classes after a hiatus last year. The other newcomers were Nicole Atchley and Maxine Brown-Davis from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy, Ellen Brigham from the PHILLIPS School in Fairfax, Virginia, and Hugo Duran from the PHILLIPS School in Annandale.

The returning teachers who brought their experience and insights to the training sessions were Jonathon Brown and Jamarr Dennis from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, CGYCA’s La-Toya Hamilton and Keith Hammond, and Jim Fields and Joseph Phillips from the PHILLIPS schools.

Much of the training time was devoted to reviewing our curriculum, which is built around an innovative noun/verb approach to teaching Moment of Inspiration, a professional-level CAD (computer-aided design) program. This method makes it easy for students to understand 3D design concepts in much the same way that they learn language.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks reviews 3D ThinkLink curriculum updates during teacher training in February 2018 — *Tom Meeks reviews 3D ThinkLink curriculum updates with teachers*

Each lesson introduces a “noun” – a 2D object such as a circle or rectangle – and a “verb” – an action in the CAD software that turns the noun into a 3D object like a pipe or box. The more nouns and verbs the students learn, the more complex their 3D creations can be.

Along with mastering Moment of Inspiration, our teachers must be able to operate 3D printers so students can transform their ideas into tangible objects. It’s essential for them to see how their designs turn out, evaluate problems, make improvements and print again until they’re satisfied.

This is how we teach at-risk kids not to fear mistakes, but to see them as a natural part of the learning process. To do that effectively, we need 3D printers that are simple, fast and reliable, so students don’t get bogged down waiting to see results. That’s why we work to keep up with the latest hardware innovations and find the printers that best meet the needs of our students and teachers.

We are in the process of transitioning from the 3D Systems Cube printers we used the launch our program five years ago to newer, more versatile machines.

The teachers spent a full day working with PowerSpec printers. After setting up and calibrating the machines, they ran test prints and learned common troubleshooting techniques. At the end of training, we gave a PowerSpec i3 Plus printer to each of our five class sites for evaluation.

YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann leads a discussion about student selection during 3D ThinkLink teacher training in February 2018 — *Lynda Mann gathers ideas about selecting students*

The final day of training included a “teachers teach teachers” session. The experienced instructors demonstrated some of the benchmark projects such as cookie cutters and personalized keychain tags that students must complete periodically to show that they understand the nouns and verbs they’ve covered so far. As they go deeper into the curriculum, the projects become more complex.

Besides sessions about the nuts and bolts of 3D design and printing, there was plenty of lively discussion about the best ways to serve the at-risk kids in our classes. It was an opportunity for the teachers to get to know each other and to understand the various needs and strengths of the students. They learned what’s unique about each partner program, as well as what they have in common.

YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann led discussions about best practices for selecting students for 3D classes, and ways to improve our program and meet the needs of our partner schools. The teachers gave valuable feedback about what’s going well in their classes and what needs improvement.

The February training sessions laid the foundation for what promises to be the best year ever for our 3D ThinkLink Initiative. The teachers returned to their schools energized and ready to apply what they learned in our lab.

Most important, this was a chance to remind everyone – whether they’ve been working with us for years or are just starting – that the real purpose of our program goes far beyond teaching 3D printing. It’s all about using the technology as a vehicle to develop the essential life skills at-risk youth lack. In the process of mastering the CAD software and printers, our students learn that their failures are not final and they can accomplish more than they ever imagined.

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