3D printing specialists Ultimaker wants to bring 3D printing to British and Irish schools and make it both affordable and accessible for all, through the CREATE Education Project.
The CREATE strategy comprises six key points:
C – COMMUNITY
Whether it’s the 50 accessible hubs or the regional and national competitions that Ultimaker are to sponsor, collaborative learning is the way to go. By bringing people together and sharing understanding, breakthroughs in learning will be abundant.
R – RELIABILITY and Support
Ultimaker has a reputation for being one of the most reliable 3D printers available. It has dedicated support lines available during teacher hours and an online diagnostic service that will troubleshoot in the unlikely event of you having an issue. Senior UK-based service managers will ensure key deadlines are always met.
E – EDUCATION
Ultimaker believe that 3D printing is going to impact many key areas in the future, whether it’s prototyping in manufacturing, bespoke replacement joints in medicine, scaled models in architecture or the latest trend in fashion, 3D printing is integral to learning and development and changes the game in design realisation. Ultimaker wants to work with the education community to help drive curriculum development and foster new thinking to keep British and Irish education up-to-date with the best in the world.
A – ACCESS
50 schools regionally selected to have an Ultimaker at a discounted price to act as regional hubs for other institutions. The Cura software that is open source and free to Ultimaker users, allows an abundance of design software/scanners/downloaded templates to be printed accurately in 3D. Youmagine.com provides an international platform for people to access 3D ideas and collaborate and aid learning.
T – TEACHABILITY
We all know that the best way to show a clear understanding of a concept is to teach it to someone else. Ultimaker’s design approach encourages individuals to experiment independently and then share their progress with others. Cura software will be new to many people and the learning curve for many students will be more rapid than for some staff. The pupil teaching the teacher – modern collaboration in education at it’s best.
E – ECONOMICS
Ultimaker is already one of the most affordable options on the market; the kit version starts at an amazing £1,000. Education institutes cannot afford to be denying students the chance to change the world. On top of this all education institutes will receive a discount for multiple unit orders, thus allowing large numbers of teachers and pupils to unleash their creative potential.