Unfortunately, many schools have limited budgets, and it can be difficult to get the necessary approval and appropriate funding to build makerspaces and acquire classroom 3D printers, scanners, and software programs. However, it’s not impossible: lots of institutions turn to education grants, like GE’s Additive Education Program, to fund their programs and get students access to the technology. But how do you know which grant is the right one for your school? Where do you start looking? MakerBot, which just a few months ago declared education one of its two key areas of focus, decided to give educators a leg up on this sometimes complex process, and developed a Grant Resource Guide to make things a little easier.
To learn more about the Grant Guide and the impetus behind its creation, we turned to the source, asking A Few Questions For Drew Lentz, MakerBot Learning Manager. Lentz filled us in on some of the background of the Grant Guide.
What inspired the collection of the grants?
“We hear all the time from teachers that they’re ready to introduce 3D printing, but haven’t secured the funding yet. These grants are all centered around 21st century skills and preparing students for future careers.”
How does awareness of/access to grant applications affect 3D printing in the classroom?
Was there any specific focus in selecting these particular grants/grant areas?“Awareness around how important makerspaces can be in education has increased lately, but funding them can be difficult. The schools and libraries I talk to who are eager to create collaborative and supportive workspaces for children rarely have all of the funding they need to fully execute. Grants are critical to bridging this gap.”
“Our MakerBot Educator program was especially useful in selecting these grants. We have a direct line to the teachers who have already successfully funded their 3D printers and makerspaces, and they helped us identify a strong list of grants they easily secured in the past.”
Any advice for educators/administrators thinking about applying for a grant?
“Whatever technology you’re looking to acquire, make sure you take the time to fully consider how it can be implemented. Lots of grants today are looking for multi-disciplinary implementation from new initiatives so they can offer as much value to the institution as possible.
For example, people know that 3D printing is a strong tool for engineering and robotics classes, but not as many know that it can be valuable in supporting art programs, history classes, and libraries. Going the extra step to do more research and plan additional programs that can benefit from the technology helps make a stronger case to secure funding.”