Nov.12, 2013
Brooklyn-based 3D-printer company Makerbot is leading a charge to crowd source 3D printers for every school in America.
This initiative - Makerbot Academy - is a unique partnership between MakerBot, DonorsChoose.org, America Makes, and Autodesk, and was a response to a call to action by the President of the United States.
"MakerBot Academy is a big thing. It is epic. There are around 100,000 schools in the USA and we want those students to be ready for the future," wrote Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot in a blog post.
Beginning November 12, 2013, anyone or any companies interested in this project can donate at the online charity site DonorsChoose.org, a crowd funding site just for teachers. You can pledge to financially support the program, choosing which schools you want to fund. One MakerBot Academy bundle costs around $2,350.
Pettis has personally pledged to put a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer in public high schools in MakerBot's hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y. In addition, Ralph Crump, original inventor of FDM 3D printing technology and founder of Stratasys, has pledged to match Pettis's donation.
Pettis encourages everyone to join MakerBot in this effort at an individual or corporate level to help move America's students to the forefront of technology and global competitiveness.
"We need to encourage our teachers and our youth to think differently about manufacturing and innovation." adds Pettis.
Each MakerBot Academy bundle contains a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, three spools of MakerBot PLA Filament, and a full year of the MakerBot MakerCare Service and Protection Plan. MakerBot will also support the teachers with the development of ongoing 3D printing curriculum that teachers can participate in and utilize in the classroom. MakerBot will leverage Autodesk's software and educator curriculum as well. When making their request, teachers will need to explain what they want to do in their classroom with the device.
MakerBot is also launching a week-long MakerBot Thingiverse Math Manipulatives Challenge, from November 12 through 18, 2013, asking its members to quickly develop a variety of different math manipulative 3D designs that can then be available immediately to teachers that receive the MakerBot Academy3D printing package.
For more on MakerBot Academy, check out MakerBot's website.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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have they fixed the motherboard dying issues and air printing? Those issues seem to still pop up all over the forum. Or are there just going to be a lot of out of commission printers collecting dust?
Goofus AND Gallant. wrote at 11/14/2013 5:00:14 AM:
I agree to having printers in schools, but Makerbot isn't open source anymore and I believe that will limit how much the kids will learn bout how they work.
total wrote at 11/13/2013 12:57:43 PM:
So makerbot is selling them at full price, nice. It is, no doubt, an easy way to sell a lot of medicore, overpriced printers.
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