The presentation on Father’s Day weekend was part of a five-day event that drew more than 200 young men from across the country to The Rock Ranch in The Rock, Georgia. Activities included sessions on STEM programs, career development and motivation.
YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made opening remarks and showed a video about the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which teaches at-risk youth life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and perseverance while introducing them to 3D design and printing.
Keith Hammond, lead 3D ThinkLink instructor at CGYCA, followed up with a presentation about some of the many uses for 3D printing technology and a brief demonstration of the design software 3D ThinkLink students learn. Nearly 100 Capital Guardian cadets have completed YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink training since 2013.
Raynald Blackwell, director of the District of Columbia’s Youth ChalleNGe Program, also spoke to encourage the young men to consider career paths in science, technology, engineering and math that require 3D skills.
Afterward, teens crowded around a display table to see a printer in action, handle 3D-printed objects and ask questions.
Mentoring camp staffers were pleased. Several told Hammond it was the most interactive and interesting of all the presentations that day.
The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men, Capital Guardian and YouthQuest share the goal of helping young people recognize their potential and prepare to be successful adults through education and life-enriching experiences.
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The YouthQuest Foundation has awarded scholarships to two students who recently completed our 3D ThinkLink training.
Asia Baker-Stevenson from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy and LaMarcus Corley from Washington DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy earned $500 each for the essays they wrote about the personal impact of their 3D ThinkLink experience.
YouthQuest provides instruction in 3D design and printing at the ChalleNGe academies to help Cadets develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, explore their creativity and gain self-confidence.
LaMarcus and Asia finished the 22-week residential phase of the ChalleNGe program in June and are now in the year-long post-residential phase, during which they work with an adult mentor to continue on the path to reach their potential as successful adults. The scholarship money is to be used for continued education or vocational training.
“Before I started 3D printing I was very insecure about myself. I thought I would never be good at anything,” Asia said in her essay, adding that she struggled with using the computer and design software at first. But she learned from her mistakes and persevered, making step-by-step improvements with each new project.
“I’ve learned that starting something new is for a purpose and that purpose is to never give up or quit on yourself,” she wrote. “I may not be able to complete things on my own, but I shouldn’t be afraid of failure.”
LaMarcus Corley in our lab for Youth Mentor training
Like Asia, LaMarcus discovered that 3D ThinkLink changed his way of thinking. He said it helped him control his anger and improve his concentration.
“When I come to class, my whole mood changes,” LaMarcus explained. “I become happy because I know that I’m in a good place.”
LaMarcus also said in his essay that if he had a 3D printer of his own, he would start a business to make things like toys and parts for bikes and cars.
“The reason I would create these objects is because I know people are less fortune than others and it would let me give back to the community,” he wrote.
Now LaMarcus has the opportunity to give back by being a Youth Mentor. In June, he and three other top Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian trained for a week in our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab. They received 3D printers, design software and laptops to use in sharing their skills with others in their community, serving as positive role models.
New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, best known for his Jonathan Grave thriller series, reads all the essays submitted and picks the winners in our semi-annual scholarship competition.
These students from the 2017 spring class cycle earned $500 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.
By Asia Baker-Stevenson
Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
The YouthQuest 3D printing program has transformed my way of thinking and my way of life in many different ways. Before I started 3D printing I was very insecure about myself. I thought I would never be good at anything. I’ve always believed that I would be a failure in life and that I would never be able to make my mom smile. When I signed up for 3D printing I thought my creativity would never be able to process. But once I started trying and putting my mind towards it, I realized that 3D printing helps society look so much easier. I didn’t know that I would be able to make a house, car, a necklace, and my name from the use of a 3D printer.
The students from the University of Maryland help out the economy by reconstructing cells with the usage of 3D printing. I’ve learned that there are more things in 3D printing than just shapes and colors. I’ve learned that you can use a 3D printing to reconstruct bones, and cells in a biochemistry lab. They used a 3D printer in order to show others the size of a 3 month old’s heart, with the use of an incubator they were able to disinfect and prevent bacteria from forming on new-born cells.
While being at The Foundery I was able to see a blacksmith make a spear while using nothing but fire and a sledgehammer. I also saw a 3D printer that prints with the usage of lasers which to me was amazing.
When I first signed up for 3D printing I didn’t believe that I would be able to create a successful design. Everything to me seemed to be impossible. I struggled to work on the computer. The very first design I made was my name because I felt as though my design wasn’t worthy enough to be put out into the real world. I became frustrated with myself I wanted to give up because my peers’ designs looked better than mine. The outcome of my first design encouraged me to keep going and to move on to create bigger and better things that will later help people out in life.
Joining 3D printing has taught me to always achieve bigger and better things. It has also taught me to never give up on anything because the simplest mistake that I make could turn out to make my project much better. While being in 3D printing I’ve learned that starting something new is for a purpose and that purpose is to never give up or quit on yourself. I may not be able to complete things on my own but I shouldn’t be afraid of failure.
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By LaMarcus Corley
Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
I signed up for 3D printing and I did not get accepted the first time. I was very upset. I then talked to my case manager and she found a way to enter me into the class. My first day of 3D-printing was cool I learned a lot that I never knew before using a 3D printer. After my first day I decided that this was something that I would like to do because I am a creative person that likes to use my mind.
Now that I have more experience in the class and I know all the commands by heart for example, extrude means you can extend in the Z direction or be set to taper or follow a path. You can extrude an open or closed object to create 3D surface or solid. In my class, I learned how to make a clock, keychain, bookmark, ring, and a puzzle. I also made a clock for the Commanding General Walker. I also know how to change the filament on a 3D printer, load the cartridge, and level the print pad with the 3D plate attached to it.
If I had a 3D printer, I would start a business. I would create a toy company to be exact. I would create toys, fidget toys, parts for cars, and parts for bikes. The reason I would create these objects is because I know people are less fortune than others and it would let me give back to the community. My company would also be non-profit. All the money would come from my saved earnings. I would also create items for my family, and friends to show my knowledge of 3D printing and for myself.
3D printing has changed my life in many ways. It has helped me control my anger. It has also helped me control my ADHD. When I come to class my whole mood changes, I become happy because I know that I’m in a good place.
The YouthQuest Foundation reached a milestone in serving at-risk youth as 2016 came to an end.
3D ThinkLink students graduate from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy, December 2016
“With December’s graduations in Maryland, South Carolina and Washington, DC, 200 Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadets now have completed our 3D ThinkLink training,” said YouthQuest Co-Founder and President, Lynda Mann. “It’s been a joy to watch this project grow during the past four years.”
The 3D ThinkLink Initiative helps students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, creativity and confidence as they learn about 3D design and printing. The knowledge they gain gives our graduates an advantage in the tech-driven job market where demand for 3D design and printing skills is growing fast. Most important, they learn that failure is not final – a lesson that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
This year began with eight top graduates participating in a week of advanced training at our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in Chantilly, Virginia. They did hands-on research evaluating 3D scanners and assembling JellyBox 3D printer kits.
Our training for all ChalleNGe Cadets includes a four-hour community service project and a full day of Vocational Orientation visits to businesses and schools where 3D design and printing is used. This year’s destinations included some old favorites such as 3D Systems and the University of Maryland’s Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab, as well as new ones such as The Foundery and Under Armour’s Lighthouse innovation center in Baltimore.
“Being involved in 3D ThinkLink makes me think about the different opportunities I have,” said Freestate grad Josh Nembhard. “Being here gives you a better chance of going somewhere, for example, college or getting a job.”
Our new Youth Mentor Program offers graduates the opportunity to continue their 3D ThinkLInk experience by sharing what they’ve learned with their family, friends and neighbors. Beginning with Immersion Lab Week in January 2017, we will provide the equipment and training for our most qualified students to drive positive change in their communities by serving as Youth Mentors. Funding for the program launched this summer is already halfway to the $15,000 goal.
Vocational Orientation at University of Maryland Biomaterials Lab
We also encourage our graduates to continue their education by awarding scholarships to those who write the best essays about how our training has affected them personally. Four students earned $500 scholarships in 2016; Trevon Ahl and Alycia Freeman from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, and Brock Jasmann and Aunya’ Jones from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.
“3D printing has helped guide me into making better decisions and gave me a new life skill along the way. It has really helped me understand my self-worth because now I know I can design my own future,” Aunya’ wrote in her award-winning essay. “I now see the bigger picture to my life’s problems and I’m not afraid to face them.”
PHILLIPS AND HORIZONS
Building on the success of our work with Youth ChalleNGe Academies, YouthQuest expanded the 3D ThinkLink Initiative to reach more youth programs in 2016
“It’s made a big difference to our staff and to our students,” PHILLIPS Career Partners Director Lindsay Harris said. “These are students that have failed often in the classroom and they don’t always have the confidence that they can learn and be successful. This program really gives them that.”
“Their ability to recognize the innate creativity in these special-needs youth, and to use the 3D ThinkLink curriculum as a valuable way for the students to express themselves creatively while facilitating growth in critical thinking and problem solving, was brilliant,” she said.
3D ThinkLink also took root and started growing in Virginia’s Tidewater region this year. We trained teachers and provided the curriculum and materials for Horizons Hampton Roads to run 3D classes for sixth graders as part of its six-week summer enrichment program.
This fall, teacher Franklin Baker used what he learned during the summer to create a course for older students. Horizons’ High School Scholars successfully completed their 3D class in December.
A REWARDING YEAR
2016 Step Up winning teams
2016 was the fifth straight year YouthQuest sponsored the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition. The event organized by Louduon Youth, Inc. challenges middle school and high school students to identify problems in Loudoun County, Virginia, and create solutions. Local business and civic leaders judge the projects and YouthQuest donates most of the prize money.
This year’s Step Up contest drew more entries than ever and we hope for an even larger field of competitors in 2017.
This year’s many accomplishments would not be possible without YouthQuest’s generous supporters.
The Challenge at Trump National
The annual golf tournament was our most successful fundraiser. There were more sponsors than ever and more than 100 players took part in the event on August 8 at Trump National Golf Club’s Championship Course in Potomac Falls, Virginia, recently named one of Golf Digest’s best new private courses.
At the annual VIP Reception a few days before the tournament, we recognized AOC’s Valerie Hightower as our 2016 Volunteer of the Year. The 2016 Community Partner Award went to Duncan-Parnell, Inc. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington received the 2016 Strategic Partner Award.
Lynda Mann with Volunteer of the Year Valerie Hightower
Donors stepped up during the golf tournament and VIP Reception to get the ball rolling on funding the Youth Mentor Program.
Our participation for the first time in #GivingTuesday, a global celebration of charity on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, also gave our year-end fundraising a boost.
“3D printing has helped guide me into making better decisions and gave me a new life skill along the way. It has really helped me understand my self-worth because now I know I can design my own future,” Aunya’, 17, wrote in her award-winning essay. “I now see the bigger picture to my life’s problems and I’m not afraid to face them.”
“I can make anything if I put my mind to it,” wrote Brock, 17, who described his 3D ThinkLink experience as “awe-inspiring.”
Both Cadets were awarded $500 scholarships for their essays during a ceremony at Freestate on December 9.
Aunya’ and Brock try blacksmithing during a Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery in Baltimore
Our program “transformed my way of thinking,” said Aunya’, who plans to join the Navy and become a nurse.
“Before 3D printing I did not believe in myself, and I had accepted the opinion that I was not good enough,” she explained.
Like most of the at-risk youth we serve, Aunya doubted herself when she started our class this fall.
“Everything seemed so foreign to me. I could barely work the program on the computer,” she recalled.
When she printed her first 3D design and it came out nothing like she had intended, she admitted feeling frustrated and wanting to give up. Instead, she made up her mind to work harder so she could “make things that I could be proud to show off.”
Aunya’ started paying close attention to every instruction, asking questions and testing every new design skill she learned.
“One day my instructor Mrs. Metzger said that my design was the only successful one to print. It brought me so much joy because that meant that I was finally getting it,” she wrote. “Joining 3D printing has taught me to never give up.”
Brock’s essay highlighted the effect his class’s community service project had on his self-esteem.
The Freestate Cadets went to a library to demonstrate designing and 3d printing small, personalized objects such as ornaments and keychain tags.
“It was an amazing experience to see how interested and impressed the kids and adults were at the library when we showed them how to make 3D prints,” wrote Brock.
“3D printing is important to me because now I can express myself in a form of art that I’m talented in. Also, I am more able to educate my community through my new learned skill in 3D printing,” added Brock, who wants to become a Marine.
Brock and Aunya’s essays were chosen from among 13 submitted by students from Freestate, DC’s Capital Guardian and South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academies. The semi-annual scholarship competition is judged by bestselling author John Gilstrap, whose novels include the Jonathan Grave thriller series.
These students from the 2016 fall class cycle earned $500 scholarships for these essays about their 3D ThinkLink experience.
By Aunya’ Jones
Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
The YouthQuest 3D printing program has transformed my way of thinking in a variety of ways. Before 3D printing I did not believe in myself, and I had accepted the opinion that I was not good enough. When I initially signed up for 3D printing I did not expect my mindset to change, but thank God it did. Every part of 3D printing took a part in my change specifically speaking, the vocational training. We learned that 3D printing helps make society so much simpler. The employees at Under Armor and students at the University of Maryland help to make other people’s lives better and that inspired me to improve my outlook on life.
Early on in 3D printing, I did not believe that I would be able to make a successful design. Everything seemed so foreign to me. I could barely work the program on the computer. The very first design I made left me feeling shameful. My design on the screen was nothing like what it printed out in reality. Through that experience I learned that I needed to look at the scale of my work. At times, I became frustrated with myself and wanted to give up because my peers’ designs looked better than mine. The disappointment from my first design forced me to make things that I could be proud to show off in my future designs.
I learned to keep my eyes glued to the screen and pay attention to every instruction given by Mr. Meeks. When I had questions I would ask aloud. Every new noun and verb that we learned I tested it on my designs. I was able to use mathematical conversions to figure out what a millimeter looked like off screen and know how it would be once printed. One day my instructor Mrs. Metzger said that my design was the only successful one to print. It brought me so much joy because that meant that I was finally getting it.
Joining 3D printing has taught me to never give up because you will not be satisfied or get where you are intended to be. Starting something is for a purpose and that purpose is not to quit. 3D printing showed me that I cannot always do things on my own and I have to learn the right way first. Mr. Meeks said, “Mistakes are a part of the process to success,” and that is a quote that I will never forget. I now see the bigger picture to my life’s problems and I’m not afraid to face them. I understand that it was not the destination that mattered but the journey I had to take to make it there. 3D printing did more than teach me how to use a program. 3D printing has helped guide me into making better decisions and gave me a new life skill along the way. It has really helped me understand my self-worth because now I know I can design my own future.
_________________________________________
By Brock Jasmann Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
3D printing has been a very awe-inspiring experience to me. I have personally benefited from 3D printing by learning that I can make something complex and visually outstanding by using a couple different tools on Moment of Inspiration. I use the Moment of Inspiration program to make my creative designs, but to me it’s more than just a computer program. I say this because, through the service to the community project, I was given the opportunity to go to a library to teach the community about 3D printing.
It was an amazing experience to see how interested and impressed the kids and adults were at the library when we showed them how to make 3D prints. We printed things such as: books, key chains, arrayed stars with faces, and little Lego shaped men. I taught them about how we use additive manufacturing, which is “a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital model[1]”. The impact that 3D printing has not only on me but the community is enormous, fun, and educational.
While visiting employees at Bustin Boards, Under Armor Light House, and The Foundery in Baltimore, Maryland during our Vocational Orientation, I learned how they used 3D printing in their skateboards, clothing, and shoes. For example, Under Armor takes virtual images from athletes’ bodies to make custom clothing to fit their body type based off of the 3D scan. This showed me that 3D printing was for more than just creating small items, it is used in technology to make clothing and everyday items.
“While 3D printing has been successfully used in the health care sector to make prosthetic limbs, custom hearing aids and dental fixtures, the technology is now being used to create more complex structures — particularly human tissue”-Cadie Thompson.[2] Another phenomenal production of 3D printing is that scientists at University of Maryland are making fake working environments for cells to thrive in to replace burnt flesh and scars with a foreign body fat. The fat is then used to fit the affected area. The scientist surgically place the healthy host cells on the body to make the scar completely disappear. This effect of 3D printing is revolutionary because now wounded warriors will have a normal life by no longer having scars exposed and they can have realistic looking prosthetic limbs.
I am ecstatic to know that I can make anything if I put my mind to it. Moment of Inspiration has inspired me to learn more about 3D printing and helped me to teach it to my community. 3D printing is important to me because now I can express myself in a form of art that I’m talented in. Also, I am more able to educate my community through my new learned skill in 3D printing. In conclusion, all of these examples are reasons why 3D printing is awe-inspiring to me.
Introducing at-risk youth to 3D design and printing is only one part of YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative. Our larger purpose is to help troubled teens learn to think in new ways and dream big.
One way we do that is through Vocational Orientation events, which are a requirement for completion of the 3D ThinkLink training we provide for National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs in South Carolina, Maryland and Washington, DC. Students spend a day touring businesses and universities to see real-world applications for the concepts they’re learning about in class.
3D printers in the University of Maryland Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Lab
Many of the kids we serve have struggled with academics and their life experience is severely limited. Before they enrolled in a ChalleNGe Academy, few imagined themselves pursuing higher education or a career in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math)-related field.
That’s why being in a college lab or a high-tech manufacturing facility for the first time can be a life-changing moment for these at-risk teens. In essays they write about how our 3D ThinkLink training affected their lives, students frequently mention being inspired by something they saw during Vocational Orientation.
In October, our Maryland and DC students enjoyed a full day of eye-opening experiences, starting with a visit to the newly opened City Garage in South Baltimore. The former bus garage has been transformed into a wonderland of innovation, anchored by Under Armour’s Lighthouse, a 35,000-square-foot design and manufacturing center. The UA Lighthouse includes a room equipped with more than 50 cameras for 3D scanning of athletes. Designers use the scans to create individually tailored sportswear. The students also learned that UA uses 3D design and printing to prototype footwear and apparel.
Josh Dunn explains how Bustin Boards makes skateboards
Elsewhere in the City Garage complex, the kids had fun at the Bustin Boards skateboard company. Along with trying out the boards, they discovered that the Moment of Inspiration software they’re learning to use in class is the same type of CAD (Computer Aided Design) program the company’s designers use. That led to a discussion about how CAD skills are needed for both 3D printing, or “additive manufacturing,” in which machines build objects by putting material only where it is needed, and traditional “subtractive manufacturing,” in which machines cut away material to form objects.
All kinds of additive and subtractive manufacturing devices were on display next door at The Foundery, a large makerspace. In the midst of all that modern technology, the kids also got some hands-on experience with one of the oldest manufacturing methods – blacksmithing. After heating, pounding and bending red-hot steel, the kids surely gained an appreciation for 3D software that can turn a simple shape into something useful or decorative with just a few clicks of a mouse.
Students visit Duncan-Parnell’s 3D printing shop in Charlotte
Students from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy also saw additive and subtractive manufacturing processes in action as they visited Duncan-Parnell’s 3D printing department in Charlotte, NC, 3D Systems headquarters in Rock Hill, SC and the University of South Carolina Department of Mechanical Engineering in Columbia.
The medical uses for 3D printing often strike a chord with our 3D ThinkLink students.
The kids from Maryland’s Freestate and DC’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academies were fascinated to see how 3D printing is used to develop things like bone and vascular replacements in the University of Maryland’s Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Lab.
Medical technology display at 3D Systems
At 3D Systems, the South Carolina students learned about the company’s work in the fast-growing specialty of pre-surgery modeling. A 3D Systems team recently worked with doctors at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York who separated baby brothers joined at the head. They were able to plan and practice every step of the complex surgery thanks to precise 3D-printed models made from MRIs and CT scans of the boys’ skulls.
We often remind students that being exposed to new ideas and experiences literally makes their brains grow, as new connections between neurons are formed. Our field trips also open students’ minds and expand their view of what’s possible. Vocational Orientation events make these at-risk teens aware of opportunities they had never imagined. While they may not end up working on the cutting edge of technology, the thinking skills and confidence they develop during their 3D ThinkLink experience will help them make the most of any opportunity they choose to pursue.
One of the highlights for The YouthQuest Foundation this summer was the success of our 3D ThinkLink pilot project at Horizons Hampton Roads.
YouthQuest provided the equipment, curriculum and training for teachers to introduce at-risk kids to the magic of 3D printing as part of a six-week summer enrichment program at Portsmouth Catholic Regional School.
Jack Lyons talks with 3D ThinkLink student Amadou Abakar at YouthQuest’s 10th anniversary celebration
It was the first time we’ve worked with Horizons Hampton Roads, which serves young people in Virginia’s Tidewater region.
We are grateful to FEDAC’s Jack Lyons for connecting us with Horizons. A longtime member of the AOC Solutions family, Jack knew about YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative and met some of our advanced students during the Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration last October.
When Jack’s sister, Elaine Lyons, became Program Director of Horizons Hampton Roads in December, he recognized the potential for a partnership. He suggested that she talk to YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann.
Within a matter of weeks, they reached an agreement to bring 3D ThinkLink classes to HHR.
The students and staff were excited about the experience.
Classroom aide Breanna Fair, who admitted she wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea during teacher training, had a change of heart soon after classes began.
Breanna Fair, teacher Franklin Baker and intern Eleni Fafoutis with HHR students
“It was priceless,” to see the children’s reactions as they watched 3D printers turn their ideas into reality, she recalled. “You couldn’t ask for better.”
“It keeps them thinking over the summer,” she added. Learning to use Moment of Inspiration 3D design software helped strengthen the students’ math, planning and problem solving skills.
Cassidy Parish, 12, said she learned that it’s OK to make mistakes because you can always change a 3D design to make it better, then print it again. She also enjoyed the hands-on nature of the classes.
“I got to print my own things that I could design and build and use for myself,” explained Cassidy, whose 3D creations included a replica of the Goblet of Fire from Harry Potter and a Star Wars Death Star ID tag for her dog, Leia.
Franklin Baker gives Cassidy Parish tips for designing a 3D-printed clock
“If I got the chance, I would like to go help other students learn 3D printing,” Cassidy said.
Eleni Fafoutis, a high school intern who worked with the class, thinks the experience will encourage the kids to consider careers on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
“One student told me he wants to build rovers for NASA,” said Eleni. “I said you can. You’re working with a real CAD (Computer Aided Design) program and those rocket scientists use similar things.”
That aspiring NASA engineer, 12-year-old Corey Wells, said our classes helped him learn to solve problems and be creative.
“I think it was great that they allowed us to do this because many kids don’t get this opportunity and I’m thankful,” he said.
Corey, Cassidy and the other students from our first class at Horizons Hampton Roads entered 7th grade a few weeks ago equipped with new skills and confidence, thanks to YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative.
Trevon Ahl and Alycia Freeman, both 17, are among the 16 students who completed the latest cycle of the 3D design and printing course YouthQuest provides at the school for at-risk teens in Eastover, South Carolina.
YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann presented the $500 awards to the essay competition winners during SCYCA’s graduation ceremony on June 8.
Bestselling author John Gilstrap, whose latest novel in the Jonathan Grave thriller series is Friendly Fire, has judged the semi-annual contest since 2014.
“This year’s batch of essays featured two standouts for me, both because they focused not on what the writer got from their introduction to 3D printing, but rather on how they will put their knowledge to work for others,” he said.
SCYCA students at 3D Systems for Vocational Orientation
In his essay, Trevon described the excitement he felt the first time he used Moment of Inspiration design software to transform a flat shape into a 3D digital model that he could print.
He also recalled the Vocational Orientation trip his class took to 3D Systems headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he saw high-end printers that go far beyond the simple plastic-extrusion machines he learned to use in class. These professional 3D printers make objects from a variety of materials, including rubber, ceramics and metals.
“When I saw that, I was overall enthusiastic about this new wave of how to use machinery in everyday life that will help others in different ways,” Trevon wrote.
“If I had a 3D titanium printer for my personal use I would make bikes for all the children in my neighborhood,” he added “I’ve seen many kids in my community that walk everywhere and they would be grateful for a bike. I would even have them customize their own bicycle frame and then I`d print it out for them.”
Because he loves to fish, Trevon also said he wanted to 3D print a titanium fishing rod and “catch so many fish I would be able to share with the people in my community so we would all be able to enjoy a good fish fry.”
The $500 scholarship will help Trevon achieve his post-ChalleNGe goal of attending a technical college to earn a welding certificate. His fellow winner Alycia plans to study surgical technology at Savannah Technical College.
Hailey Key, Asia Grant and Alycia Freeman examine 3D printed objects during Vocational Orientation
“Alycia’s story was quite touching,” John Gilstrap said.
Her dad was doing drugs and her parents divorced when she was 13. She moved five times and skipped school often, spending most days caring for her ailing grandmother instead of going to class.
“I then started to follow in my father’s footsteps,” Alycia wrote. “About a year later, I knew I had to be successful. I didn’t want to be a product of my environment.”
That’s when she decided to enroll in SCYCA. Being in the 3D ThinkLink class helped Alycia get re-engaged in education.
Like Trevon, Alycia said the visit to 3D Systems showed her how she can use the technology she learned about in class for the benefit of others. She was inspired to see the many ways 3D printing is used in health care.
“Being that I took care of my grandmother, I want to help others live a better life in every way possible,” she explained. “3D printing encouraged me to become a surgical nurse. … I’m now motivated and determined to go to school and get into the medical field and actually complete it!”
YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink project at the PHILLIPS School in Annandale, Virginia, is off to an impressive start.
Six students have completed our 3D design and printing course as part of the Career and Tech Education program at the school for special-needs children. YouthQuest provided the curriculum, equipment, software and teacher training.
Henry Spiegelblatt runs a 3D printer
“We’ve hit on something here that has great potential,” Piper Phillips Caswell, President and CEO of PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families, said during an event honoring the students on June 10.
YouthQuest and PHILLIPS teamed up early this year to launch the first 3D ThinkLink class specifically for high-school-age students with high-spectrum autism. Previously, YouthQuest’s signature STEM education program primarily served at-risk teens enrolled in National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academies.
“It was mind-blowing to see something on the computer and then see it printed out on the 3D printer,” said PHILLIPS student Elijah Burton.
“It’s just really fun to design things,” added his classmate, Henry Spiegelblatt.
YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who developed the curriculum and trained the teachers, was “blown away” by the results of the pilot program at PHILLIPS.
Luke McHugh, left, and Adam Eldert work on a 3D design in Moment of Inspiration
“In four years of teaching 3D ThinkLink classes, I don’t think I’ve seen students create designs more complex than what I’ve seen here. I am super impressed,” he said.
“One of the reasons I enjoy coming to 3D printing is that I already have the ideas that I want to put down. I’ve always had these designs that I wanted to implement,” explained Adam Eldert, whose creations included a colorful spaceship. “However, until recently, I lacked the means and the resources to actually make them reality. Now, I possess both.”
Luke McHugh quickly mastered the Moment of Inspiration design software, using it as a tool for creative expression.
“I can exercise my ideas in a virtual environment where I can literally build them and then modify them without having to take the whole thing apart,” said Luke.
Adam Eldert’s spaceship design
Knowing how to use a 3D printer and serious CAD (computer-aided design) software such as Moment of Inspiration can be valuable for the students are they prepare to enter the working world. The PHILLIPS program is also designed to teach “soft job skills” such as problem solving.
The goal, as PHILLIPS Program Supervisor Lindsay Harris put it, is “to develop confidence as well as competence.”
With an emphasis on critical thinking, learning from mistakes and step-by-step improvement, our 3D ThinkLink training helps students achieve that goal.
Marcel Baynes, Tom Meeks, Jim Field and Sam Son at teacher training
“I’ve seen an increase in their resiliency. They’re not afraid to fail,” said Sam Son, lead teacher for the Designing Futures Program at PHILLIPS. “Whenever they do see the mistakes, they want to go back into the program – Moment of Inspiration – to make sure they find out exactly where it’s wrong and tweak it, because failure is not final and they want that final product to be exactly what they want.”
He described one student who had “always felt left out” because she was constantly being compared to her sister, who’s in gifted and talented classes.
“For her to actually be working with 3D printers and designers that people at the university are working with, it brings out a lot in her and the confidence has skyrocketed recently,” Sam said.
Much of the credit for this pilot project’s success goes to Sam and his fellow PHILLIPS instructors Jim Field and Marcel Baynes, who attended a week of training in YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in January and spent many more days in and out of class learning to use the 3D printers and software.
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Congratulations to the First 3D ThinkLink Class at the PHILLIPS School
Elijah Burton Adam Eldert Ida Kahsay Luke McHugh Deja Semper Henry Spiegelblatt
