NVBOTS Offers 3D Printing Workshop for Boy Scouts at Massachusetts STEM Camp

Boys scouts in Massachusetts can start gearing up to earn their badges in 3D printing, with a new program being coordinated by NVBOTS and the Boy Scouts of America Boston Minuteman Council that focuses on giving that added push to scouts who are interested in the fields of engineering and science.

It’s a well-known fact that the Boy Scouts are all about being prepared. In their training as young men, they learn to be prepared for their futures, and to be prepared for making ethical and moral choices. Choosing a solid path and considering their career choices is certainly part of life preparedness, and with that in mind, NVBOTS is starting out by introducing young scouts to 3D printing at the Camp Sayre STEM Camp from April 20-24^th.

The Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) day camp, which is geared toward both the younger Cub Scouts as well as Boy Scouts, offers a concentrated experience in exploring technology. Scouts will learn and work hard to earn their merit badges, belt loops and activity pins for STEM oriented studies and achievement.

At Camp Sayre, located near the 7,000 acre Blue Hills Reservation, near Boston, they will get lab experience, listen to speakers, enjoy field trips, and will have the chance to receive instruction and demonstrations from experts hailing from Lincoln Labs of MIT, Microsoft, the Museum of Science, as well as from NVBOTS.

With NVBOTS experts on site and their 3D printing services rolled out to the enthusiastic young men, it’s a great opportunity to show the scouts not only the innovative potential of 3D printing, but also a chance to explain the impact 3D printing is having right now worldwide in many sectors–and how skills in that area will offer great careers in science, engineering, mathematics and technology. The NVPro 3D printer will be used in the workshops. Meant specifically for education purposes, The NVPro is the first fully automated 3D printer with a cloud-based interface that allows prints to be sent automatically.

With the automatic removal system, groups can send 3D prints from any device—and it can continue 3D printing around the clock. NVBOTS developed the NVPro to work with such automatic processes precisely so students would have more streamlined, less cumbersome ways to work with 3D printing and be free to do more creating as well.

“At NVBOTS, we are committed to training the next generation of scientists and engineers on design for 3D printing, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Boy Scouts of America, an amazing organization that equips scouts with the skills necessary to pursue their dreams,” said NVBOTS CEO AJ Perez. “By giving access to the NVBOTS 3D printing experience, we look forward to playing a role in inspiring each scout to bring their ideas to life, in ways never before thought possible.”

Scouts will have the opportunity to experience the technology hands on, and will be able to grasp the concept that they too can be responsible for making change through innovation as they are guided through the learning process of 3D printing.

“We pride ourselves on providing an environment for scouts that allows them to learn, grow and be inspired,” said Kim Kokkotos, head of development for Boy Scouts of America, Boston Minuteman Council. “The team at NVBOTS is passionate about giving these young minds the experiential learning they need to excel in the world and we are excited to collaborate with them on creating valuable experiences for our scouts in the months to come.”

While they will be given initial instruction and supervision, the NVPro 3D printer will be onsite during the duration of the camp and free for use by the scouts for whatever 3D printing projects they wish to embark on. With over 25,000 scouts in the eastern part of the state, Camp Sayre is thought of as their ‘flagship’ camp and offers activities and fun to over 15,000 scouts yearly.

Do you know any scouts in the MA area who will be attending this camp? What do you think of the automated processes the NVPro 3D printer offers?  Discuss in the NVBOTS forum thread on 3DPB.com.

(For more information about scouting in general, click here.)