At the heart of all of these problems is that a lot of public schools just don’t have enough money. Although education is vitally important, it’s often one of the first things to get slashed when budget troubles arise. It’s sad, and wrong, but it’s never surprising when it happens. Often, arts education is the first thing to go, which hurts my liberal arts degree-holding soul, but STEM courses suffer as well, despite global effort to put more emphasis on those (science, technology, engineering, math) subjects in schools.
At the heart of STEM education is 3D printing. The technology’s importance in early education has been stressed again and again by government agencies, economic experts, and others, but the trouble is that 3D printers are expensive. Many manufacturers are increasing their focus on education, creating printers that are specifically designed for classrooms and priced much more affordably, but when many schools can’t even afford basic lab equipment, even the cheapest 3D printers are a luxury.“3D printing is seeing rapid adoption and schools are starting to realise the many benefits that adding 3D printing to the curriculum can have, from inspiring pupils to helping to teach complex ideas,” said Richard Wells, National Sales Manager at Danwood. “Being able to rent a 3D printer on a monthly basis removes the upfront investment while ensuring full compliance with procurement processes, and opens up the opportunity for all schools across the country who want to equip their students for the future.”
That’s why a 3D printer rental program is such a great idea, and it’s a simple one, too. I’m surprised more programs like it haven’t been introduced already. Hopefully, Danwood will set an example for other companies and school districts to follow suit. I, for one, hope to see the idea catch on within US schools – very soon. Discuss your thoughts on what might soon become a new trend in education in the Danwood School Rental Programs for CubePro 3D Printers forum over at 3DPB.com.