The YouthQuest Foundation’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative is growing, and so is the need for resources to support this important STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education experience for at-risk youth.
We are serving twice as many students this fall as we did in the pilot project at Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in the spring. 3D printing classes are being conducted at Maryland’s Freestate and the newly opened Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academy, which serves the District of Columbia. And that’s just the beginning. We have invited four more National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs in the mid-Atlantic region to start classes at their Academies early next year.
This means hundreds of high school dropouts who decide to turn their lives around will have the opportunity to learn about the revolutionary technology of additive manufacturing. Smaller groups at each Academy will be chosen for 25 hours of advanced training as members of 3D ThinkLink Teams. Starting next summer, select students from those teams will be invited to YouthQuest’s headquarters in Chantilly, Va., for 40 hours of immersion training in our 3D ThinkLink Fabrication Laboratory.
Make the Connection — DONATE
With your support, we are opening students’ eyes to a world of possibilities in STEM they might otherwise have never seen. Every donation, large or small, helps us assemble the pieces we need to build on the early success of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative. For example:
- $30 provides a lab tool set for one student.
- $100 provides one hard drive and battery for a recycled laptop computer.
- $450 provides one tablet computer for a 3D ThinkLink Team graduate.
- $1,600 provides one Cube 3D printer and materials.
- $2,500 provides one week of 3D ThinkLink Lab immersion training, including lodging and meals, for one student.
By making the connection between technology and creativity, the 3D ThinkLink Initiative gives at-risk teens an advantage as they enter a workforce where STEM skills are in high demand. Our classes prepare students to successfully compete for a growing array of technology-related jobs that don’t require a college degree or to continue their education in one of the STEM disciplines. In addition, the program builds self-confidence and problem-solving skills that help graduates achieve their goals no matter what career path they choose.
Click here to make a donation or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.