Students rarely have the opportunity to do something that is extraordinary. We would love to have the chance to build a 3D printer...from the ground up. We will learn to build it, write the code for it, troubleshoot it, and make objects to give away or use in school.
Our school has a very diverse population with students from many different backgrounds and economic levels.
The first small group of students are ones who have huge potential, but haven't been given enough real-life experiences yet. They all receive excellent grades and work hard. They have never had an opportunity like this, however. Many would never get such a great experience if it wasn't for DonorsChoose. Our school is a large school in a residential neighborhood that is mostly comprised of Hmong, Latino, and African-American students. This school has some of the hardest working individuals imaginable with many folks working 12+ hour days. We are in a very working class area and most parents do not have any extra spending money by months end. We all work very hard around here.
My Project
Initially we will have 7 students working together to build the printer. Later, we will have hundreds more learn to write code and see their objects grow before their eyes. We will take several weeks to build the 3D printer with students coming into the STEM lab and working for an hour or two per week until it is finished. First, we will remove the parts of the 3D printer from the box very carefully so we do not lose anything. We will sort the small parts and put together the first stages. This will require us to use small electronic screw drivers and keep track of tiny parts. We will be following directions both from video and written steps. Small groups of students will need to make the portion of the printer assigned to them and eventually we will put these sections together to make the larger printer. Students are working on each stage of the process so they will be able to troubleshoot later.
We will be changed permanently.
Nothing makes you feel stronger than accomplishing something that you initially didn't feel you could do. This project takes a ton of effort and perseverance. We will need to learn to be patient and make mistakes and carry on. Students who build the printer will be the ambassadors to the next set of students who learn to code and work with the printer. They will be humble because they know the hard work it takes to accomplish far reaching goals.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Thompson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.