After an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign for a solid product, MyStemKits.com has returned to the crowdfunding site with an even more modest funding goal to launch their huge collection of 3D printable STEM education kits for grades K-12. And, in the process, they’ve picked up more partners along the way, 3DPrinterOS and HipScience.
Founded by Laron Walker and Hannah Olson, MyStemKits is a well thought out curriculum of 3D printable projects to teach students science, technology, engineering, and math. The duo has returned to Kickstarter with 50 different kits to teach everything from human anatomy to rocket science. Each kit comes complete with a curriculum written by Florida State University’s FCR-STEM team and, now that the startup has partnered with HipScience, some of the kits will even include HipScience’s sensor technology.
Additionally, MyStemKits has teamed up with cloud printing platform 3DPrinterOS to create the first library of 3D printable educational models. 3DPrinterOS has already managed to connect with a number of other model repositories, including Sketchfab and Pinshape, and this only expands their collection. In this way, the firm is really attempting to become a universal operating system that may just seek to encompass the entire world of desktop 3D printing in their umbrella. The two partners are in the process of creating a portal for school districts to access their printable STEM kits, allowing teachers to access low-cost supplies, as long as they have a 3D printer. And, as MyStemKits reaches for its Kickstarter goal, it will be able to open its 3D printables portal to educators and consumers alike.
MyStemKits suggests that they’ve spent a lot of time to develop their projects and, in so doing, believe that they have a quality product. Olson says, “We’ve taken these kits to classrooms, afterschool programs, and community events. Children are drawn to them. They want to play with them, to see how they work. And they learn as they’re doing so. It’s amazing to witness that moment when they suddenly get it.”
In my mind, there’s no reason why this Kickstarter campaign shouldn’t be successful. The only thing that seems to be missing is the artistic component that would spell out STEAM, but, given the high price of educational supplies and the low cost of 3D printing simple objects, MyStemKits are the sort of product any school with 3D printer access should be clamoring for. If you’re interested in helping them reach their $5,000 goal, head over to their Kickstarter page here.
