3D printing has become increasingly championed as a method for teaching STEAM education in schools from first grade all the way up to college, but not all schools can afford to implement this revolutionary technology in their classrooms. Australian 3D printing retailer, The 3D Printer, wants to help schools gain access to their wares through a new fundraising program.
If you’re a teacher who thinks that a 3D printing curriculum could benefit your classroom – through teaching design, engineering, and manufacturing goods that can be used in the real world – you’ll need the money to purchase at least one printer, plus filament. So, The 3D Printer has set up a fundraising section on their retail site for schools to promote their 3D printing cause through various channels. You create a profile for your school, with accompanying information about the class you’re proposing and how you’ll use the technology, plus the amount of money you’ll need for your program. Then, both you and The 3D Printer are tasked with promoting the crowdfunding campaign across every social media network you can think of. You can see example pages for the program here (and in the screen shot below).
So, what does everyone get out of this deal? Schools and teachers get a place to raise funds for their 3D printing programs and The 3D Printer gets all of the publicity it can handle through its fundraising educators. And, if you do use The 3D Printer to seek investors, you may receive discounts on 3D printing goods from the retailer.
This is a brilliant move by the Australian e-store. By providing a little bit of webspace for schools, the company receives some very positive attention and web traffic, while solidifying its image as an educational advocate. In the future, when teachers are looking to start their own 3D printing programs or need to recommend a retailer to someone, who else will they turn to?
