Past projects 3
Organization for Success
Funded Feb 12, 2025Thank you for your generous donation and for supporting our classroom! Your contribution makes a real difference, providing our students with hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity and creativity. Because of your kindness, our students have the tools needed to stay organized and be more successful in school.
We truly appreciate your generosity and belief in our mission. Thank you for being a part of our journey!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Fazio
Building a STEMified Integrated Science Curriculum
Funded Sep 6, 2017Being able to bring 3D printing to a larger audience this year has been amazing. Students in my 9th grade class were able to visualize mountains and topography like never before. Instead of just looking at maps and images of volcanoes, my students were able to hold a model of a real mountain in their hands and study the similarities and differences between different types of volcanoes.
Teaching 3D modeling and CAD design in the science classroom presents a unique challenge. There is an initial rush of excitement as students learn about the 3D printer and how it works. This I have found is a great hook. The difficult part in teaching 3D design and modeling is when the students realize the effort and work that is required to produce a model which can be printed. But being able to successfully bring students through this slump in interest is met with great reward when the students gaze upon their model in process printing, and then again holding the final product in their hands.
I had so many students this year thank me for allowing them the chance to use the 3D printer and the opportunity to learn about the technology. They were very excited to take home their volcano models to show their parents/ guardians what they were able to accomplish in class.
I am very grateful to all those that generously gave their support and helped to fund this project. I hope to continue to use the 3D printing technology in my classroom and allow more students access to the amazing technology which is increasingly becoming integrated into science research and product development.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Fazio
This classroom project was brought to life by Tom's of Maine and 5 other donors.3D Printer for Physiology Biomedical Engineering Project
Funded Aug 26, 2015I am so grateful to have been able to bring 3D printing technology to my classroom. In my classroom students have been able to use the technology to create some amazing products and learn about the human body along the way. Additionally, they have learned the engineering design cycle. I hope they will be able to take these lessons and apply them to future academic pursuits as well as life beyond the classroom.
One of the most exciting things about 3D printing is the amazing speed of prototyping. Students were able to go from a computer drawing to a working prosthetic model in a few hours. The speed of 3D prototyping, along with the low cost of materials, allowed students to come up with several iterations of their prosthetic designs to get a design that fulfilled the criteria of the assigned activity. Students were always excited when something they designed came off the printer and got into their hands for the first time.
One of the most important learning experiences for my students was in the initial design process. Students commonly made the mistake of not including joints or points of articulation in their designs. Several groups of students were shocked when their design did not behave as they had expected. These mistakes or oversights in design provided valuable insight into the workings of the human hand and joints in general. Students were then able to go back and redesign their prosthetics with their newly acquired knowledge.
The reach of this project has gone well beyond my classroom and has awed and inspired students from all over the school. I have had several students who had me in a previous year ask to take my course again just so they can have the opportunity to use the 3D printer. Students from other my other courses are also asking when their class can use the printer. In particular, my Marine Biology class is really interested in using the technology in their course. I am in the process of developing several lessons to include the 3D printers in their curriculum. I really hope the excitement of the new technology doesn't wear off and students stay enthusiastic.
I firmly believe that 3D printing has a permanent place in my science curriculum. I am again so grateful to have been able to bring the technology to my students. I want to say thank you again to those that have donated to my project. I hope to begin thinking of future project that will expand on this project and include a larger number of students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Fazio