Giants in the 3D printing industry, MakerBot, announced recently that they have teamed up with Samsung, one of the biggest players in their own field. The two leaders joined forces in an effort to propel classrooms across Europe into the future by introducing 3D printing technology into curricula.
Access for all ages
Aiming to “inspire the next generation of innovators,” Samsung and MakerBot plan to provide schools, colleges and museums in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK with 3D printers so that students of all ages have access to the emerging technology. Their efforts are the first phase of Samsung’s digital skills program, which ultimately aims to help young people understand how digital skills can act as catalysts toward a bright future. The initiative features two core programs:
- Smart Classrooms: create new learning opportunities for 6 to 16 year olds. Since 2013, over 1,300 Smart Classrooms have opened across 20 countries in Europe. Samsung not only provides technology, but also offers educational content and teach digital skills, such as coding to students and teachers.
- Digital Academies: Samsung’s targeted contribution to tackling the digital skills gap. There are over 65 across Europe. In these learning centres, 16 to 24 year olds can access smart technology, ICT training and employability programs to help their transition from education to employment.
Full digital engagement
With the introduction of this integrative technology into classrooms, Samsung and MakerBot hope to combine design and coding classes with 3D printing. This will allow students to engage in the full design cycle as a way to develop ideas and innovate. Additionally, MakerBot plans to offer their full set of services and solutions to students as well as educators in order to help everyone tackle real-world obstacles.
According to Evelyn Nicola, Sustainability & Citizenship Manager at Samsung Europe, the company plans to reach their six-year goal of digitally engaging 400,000 young people across Europe in half the time. They plan to use the extra three years to “invest further in educating thousands of young people in the latest digital skills.” Andreas Langfeld, General Manager of MakerBot EMEA hailed the latest collaboration, saying,
“Samsung and MakerBot share the same vision of developing new technologies that help prepare students for the jobs of the future. 3D printing can help teach many of the 21st century skills that employers are looking for and applying knowledge to the real world. We’re excited to partner with Samsung to help even more educators and students discover the power of 3D printing.”
Bridging a growing gap
As of today, Europe has faces high youth unemployment rates. More and more students complete their education with a severe lack of digital skills that are important in the job market. On the other side, educators also lack the ability to teach emerging technologies to keep up with the demanding and increasing digital landscape. Together, Samsung and MakerBot are tackling these issues one step at a time to ensure that the next generation is more-than-well equipped.
Featured Image courtesy of Samsung
