Grant Resources

Securing grants for 3D printers in schools can greatly enhance the educational opportunities available to students. While the availability of grants can vary by region and time, there are several types of grants and organizations to explore when seeking funding for 3D printers in schools. Here are some potential sources to consider:

1. Government Grants:

   - Federal Grants: Check for federal grants related to education, technology, or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs. In the United States, Grants.gov is a valuable resource.

   - State and Local Grants: Many state education departments and local government bodies offer grants to support technology and STEM initiatives in schools. Visit your state's education department website and inquire at the local level.

2. Foundation Grants:

   - Private Foundations: Many private foundations focus on education and technology. Some examples include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Google for Education Foundation, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

   - Community Foundations: Local community foundations often provide grants to schools and educational institutions within their geographic areas.

3. Corporate Grants:

   - Tech Companies: Companies in the technology sector, such as Microsoft, Autodesk, and HP, often provide grants or donations of 3D printers to schools as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

   - Manufacturing Companies: Some manufacturing companies may offer grants or equipment donations to support STEM education, including 3D printing.

4. Nonprofit Organizations:

   - Nonprofit organizations, like Donorschoose.org, exist to help connect educators with potential donors who may fund 3D printer projects or supplies for schools.

5. Education Grants:

   - Educational institutions and associations, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Education Association (NEA), offer grants and resources for educational technology projects.

6. STEM and Maker Education Grants:

   - Organizations like the Maker Education Initiative and the National Center for Technological Literacy offer grants and resources to support STEM and maker education, including 3D printing initiatives.

7. Local Businesses and Community Organizations:

   - Local businesses, community groups, and parent-teacher associations (PTAs) can be valuable sources of funding for 3D printers in schools. Approach them with your proposal.

8. Online Crowdfunding Platforms:

   - Consider using crowdfunding platforms like, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe or Donorschoose to raise funds for 3D printer projects in your school. Engage parents, students, and the community in these efforts.

9. Education Technology Grants:

   - Organizations like EdSurge maintain databases of grants and funding opportunities for educational technology initiatives, including 3D printing.

10. Professional Associations:

    - Some professional associations related to education, technology, or specific subject areas may offer grants or resources for classroom technology enhancements.

When applying for grants, be sure to carefully read and follow the guidelines provided by the granting organization. Craft a compelling proposal that clearly outlines how the 3D printers will be used to enhance education and meet specific learning objectives. Highlight the potential impact on students' learning experiences and the broader educational community. Additionally, consider the sustainability of the program beyond the grant period and how you will measure its success.

Purpose

The following information will assist you with Grant writing content specifically to fund Dremel 3D printers. The copy is generalized to be relevant for a variety of federal, local, and private grant applications and should be supplemented with grant requirements and school specific material.

Organization Description

Since 1932, Dremel has been a trusted brand with its various lines of compact and versatile power tools. In 2014, Dremel launched its own line of 3D Printers, filaments, and accessories. Since then, Dremel 3D printers have been designed in collaboration with educators using 3D printers to produce the most reliable, easy to use and well supported 3D printer for the education market. These work-horse machines are becoming the standard in K-12. Today, Dremel 3D printers are used at more than 10,000 schools across thousands of school districts, technical centers, and universities. Millions of students have experienced hands-on-learning and design thinking which have improved their subject matter knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Dremel DigiLab 3D Printers

All Dremel 3D printers are fully enclosed, UL certified and built to Bosch standards for peace of mind in home, classroom or office setting. Built for commercial use, Dremel 3D printers are rigorously tested prior to launch and backed by a 1-year warranty and lifetime Customer Support from live Dremel experts in Wisconsin. They are easy to network and can be used with PC, MAC or Chromebooks through downloadable or cloud-based software. Network administration features allow controlled access to students, usage reports and fleet management. Dremel 3D printers are standard equipment for Project Lead the Way IED and EES courses.

Learn Design Thinking through 3D Printing

Dremel STEM lesson plans provide teachers with a standards aligned curriculum (Common Core, NGSS, TEKS) created in collaboration with education experts. Dremel provides access to 30 lesson plans ranging from 3rd to 12th grade.  Each lesson plan has been tested in real-life education settings and designed to work in classrooms up to 30 students. Students will follow the lesson plan guidelines, work in teams while using their CAD design, Data Collection, Subject Knowledge, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration skills.

Students will follow a 5-phase design thinking process for each of its lesson plans.

1. Conceptualize. Student teams use creativity, communication and collaboration.

2. 3D Design. 3D design skills take over and the planning comes to life.

3. Prototype. 3D prints are often printed in parts and assembled.

4. Test & Learn. Students gather data/test results, analyze them and make improvement recommendations.

5. Re-Design. Improve on their previous design based on their test results

Design Thinking: Student learn through concepting, printing, and testing their designs, then modifying them to make performance improvements.

Experiential / Hands-on Learning through 3D Printing

Dremel DigiLab empowers students to students learn by doing. Students can design and create their own items, which can foster creativity and innovation. They can also experiment with different materials, shapes, and functions. Dremel 3D printers can help students develop skills such as: Creativity, Collaboration, Problem-solving, Critical thinking, Self-confidence. 3D printing can also help students understand scientific concepts. For example, in science classes, students can create 3D models of body parts, cells, organs, chemical structures, or fossils. In social studies classes, students can use 3D printed replicas of historical artifacts to understand or compare events or time periods. It can help people who are blind or visually impaired develop spatial awareness. Research has shown that 3D printed materials can make abstract concepts, such as severe weather, easier to understand.

Hands-on learning boosts engagement, understanding and retention. Retention rates can be as much as 75% vs 5% for more passive methods.

Topics which can benefit from hands-on learning with 3D printed models:

Life Science: Animal life cycles, Human Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biomes Botany, Cells and Viruses, Chemistry, Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Zoology

Physical Science: Electrical Current Energy and collisions, Mechanical Structure and Function, Momentum and Impulse Motion in Straight Line, Newtonian Mechanics, Projectile Motion, troubleshooting

Engineering: Design, Design Thinking, Project-based Learning

Earth and Space Science: Environmental Issues, Fossils, Geographic Features Human Impact, Natural Hazards, Solar System and Space

Mathematics: Base 10, Operations Ratios and Proportions, Volume and Surface Area Fractions, Place Value Graphing 2D and 3D, Shapes, Cross-sections Algebra, Geometry

Social Sciences: Culture World, History, U.S. History, Geography

Professional Development and Training

In addition to its 3D printer lesson plans, Dremel also offers an ISTE aligned, Professional Development training course which includes detailed instructions through illustrations, videos, case studies, lesson plans and hands-on learning tasks which provide a pathway into 3D printing and its endless applications.

What’s covered?

• 3D Set-Up and Operation. Overcome the perplexity of it all, as you learn all about your Dremel 3D printer and its capabilities.

• 3D Printing Design and Slice Software. For many teachers, the most daunting aspect of 3D printing is the software. You will learn how to use Dremel 3D Printing slicing software and 3D model design software (Tinkercad).

• Implementation and Integration (Pedagogy). Access lesson plans, project ideas and third-party resources to teach 3D printing to beginners to intermediate level students.

• Safety, Trouble-Shooting & Maintenance. Use your Dremel 3D printer safely and keep it running at optimal performance. Learn to resolve printing errors or hardware challenges.

• Real World 3D Printing. Learn how 3D printing is being used in today's modern world and how this may inspire students to explore different career paths that use 3D printing.

On completion of this self-paced 4-hour Professional Development (PD) course, the teacher will receive a certificate of completion valid for 4 hours of PD credits.

Classroom Organization

We recommend using 5 Dremel 3D printers to effectively teach 3D printing. A 5:1 student to 3D printer ratio would be ideal. With an adequate number of printers, students can print their iterations quicker and get more hands-on experience within the course period.

A small 3D printer lab is recommended to be placed in a dedicated STEM classroom, Library, Media Center, or Makerspace. Students can print remotely from a different classroom using Dremel Cloud software options or by inserting a flash drive directly into the printer. This setup maximizes the number of teachers and students who can benefit from 3D printing and keeps resources like filaments and accessories in a centralized location.

CTE Value

Simply purchasing 3D Printers does not ensure increased STEM awareness and student engagement in STEM courses and careers. The most successful schools in generating STEM engagement district wide, especially to under-served populations, provide not only the technology, but the training and resources required for both educators and students to effectively utilize 3D Printing across multiple academic disciplines. Dremel Digilab provides standards aligned lesson plans in a variety of subjects which incorporate 3D Printing as well as basic start-up and operations training suitable for both educators and students. In addition, Dremel Digilab has partnered with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3). NC3 brings together educational institutions and industry partners to develop skills training for the 21st century workforce. NC3 offers a nationally recognized certification around the Dremel Digilab line of 3D Printers. The program offers educators the tools & training to certify students in 3D Printing and to safely & skillfully operate the Dremel Digilab 3D Printer. The NC3 program’s goal is to train-the-trainer to master the critical aspects of 3D printing, enabling them to share this knowledge across the school to educators and students properly.

NC3 certifications are industry-driven and developed through a rigorous process assessing international skill standards endorsed by leading global companies. Each certification includes a hands-on performance evaluation and a proctored online competency-based exam. Certifications are awarded to candidates who successfully pass the hands-on performance evaluation and knowledge exam. These exams are delivered online through NC3's Testing Portal, NC3Certs.com, the institution's campus administrator, an authorized proctor, provides access to certification exams for eligible students to earn the industry-recognized credentials. To learn more about bringing Dremel 3D Printer certifications contact NC3.

Here are a few key advantages for students:

• Proof of competency: Certifications often serve as proof of expertise, enhance credibility and increase their chances of getting hired.

• Enhanced Skill Set: Focused training in 3D printing, 3D design and slicing software equipping students with practical skills and knowledge.

• Industry Recognition: Certifications are often recognized and valued by employers as obtaining a certain level of competence that meet industry standards.

• Competitive Advantage: Showcases their commitment to professional development and indicates the eagerness for additional skills and knowledge.

• Career Advancement Opportunities: Certifications can open doors to new career opportunities, promotions, or salary increases.

NC3 Certification program costs per person range from $395 to $495. Once a teacher has completed the training, they can impart their knowledge to students and get them certified free of charge.

Qualitative and Quantitative Proof of Value

Journal of Turkish Science Education, 2022, 19(3), 887-910. DOI no: 10.36681/tused.2022.155

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the activities designed with 3D printing technology on the teaching of the sixth-grade systems in our body unit and to determine the views of students on this technology. In this study, a mixed research design in which quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together was preferred. A total of 60 sixth grade students participated in the study. The study was carried out for 6 weeks and within the scope of a science lesson. During the study, lessons in the experimental group were processed using the activities developed with 3D printing technology in addition to the current curriculum while lessons in the control group were processed using the 2018 Science Curriculum. Data were then analyzed using the SPSS statistics program and descriptive analysis. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant difference between the post-test mean scores for academic achievement in the experimental and control groups. It can be said that the activities developed with the 3D printing technology used in the teaching of the subjects in the experimental group after the application increased the academic achievement compared to the teaching in the control group where the current program was used. The results obtained from the qualitative findings of the research also support these quantitative results. It is recommended to use more 3D printing technology in science education.

Securing grant funding for Dremel 3D printers can be a valuable resource for various organizations and individuals, such as schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and makerspaces. Below are some steps and tips to help you in your quest to obtain grant funding for Dremel 3D printers:

1. Identify Your Purpose: Clearly define how you intend to use your Dremel 3D printers. Grants are often awarded for specific projects or purposes, so it's essential to have a well-defined purpose.

2. Research Grant Opportunities:

• Federal Grants: Check federal grant programs like those offered by agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) or the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

• State and Local Grants: Explore grant opportunities provided by state or local governments.

• Private Foundations: Look into grants from private foundations and corporations that support STEM education, innovation, or technology access.

• Educational Grants: If you're part of an educational institution, investigate grants specific to schools and colleges.

• Industry-Specific Grants: Depending on your field, there may be industry-specific grants available. For example, healthcare organizations might find grants for medical 3D printing.

3. Check Eligibility Criteria: Carefully review the eligibility requirements for each grant. Ensure that your organization or project meets the necessary qualifications.

4. Prepare a Strong Proposal:

• Clearly articulate your project's goals, the need for Dremel 3D printers, and how they will be used.

• Highlight the potential impact of your project, such as benefits to education, research, or the community.

• Develop a detailed budget that includes the cost of Dremel 3D printers and related expenses.

• Explain how you plan to sustain and maintain the Dremel 3D printers beyond the grant period.

• Provide evidence of your organization's capacity to carry out the project successfully.

5. Seek Professional Assistance: If grant writing is not your expertise, consider hiring a professional grant writer or seeking assistance from someone with experience in grant applications.

6. Submit Your Application:

• Follow the grant application instructions carefully.

• Ensure that you submit all required documents and meet the application deadlines.

7. Networking and Collaboration:

• Building relationships with grant-making organizations and local stakeholders can enhance your chances of success.

• Collaboration with other organizations on a joint grant proposal can also strengthen your application.

8. Grant Management:  If you are awarded a grant, manage the funds responsibly, and provide timely progress reports as required.

9. Alternative Funding Sources: If grant funding doesn't materialize, consider alternative methods like crowdfunding or seeking donations from local businesses and community members.

10. Stay Informed: Keep an eye on new grant opportunities that may arise and continually update your proposals to align with changing priorities and needs.

Remember that the competition for grants can be intense, so it's essential to submit a compelling proposal that clearly demonstrates the value of Dremel 3D printers to your project or organization's mission. Additionally, grant availability and criteria can change over time, so stay informed about the latest opportunities in your area of interest.

When writing a grant proposal to secure funding for a 3D printing initiative in education, it's important to emphasize the educational benefits and the impact it can have on students and the learning environment. Here are a few educational benefits of 3D printing that you can include in your grant request:

1. Hands-On Learning: 3D printing allows students to create physical objects from digital designs. This hands-on approach engages students in active learning, enhancing their understanding of complex concepts in subjects like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

2. Interdisciplinary Learning: 3D printing projects often require students to combine knowledge from various disciplines. This promotes interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving, which are valuable skills for the future workforce.

3. Visualization of Abstract Concepts: 3D printing enables the creation of tangible models and prototypes, helping students visualize and better grasp abstract or complex concepts. For example, in biology, students can 3D print models of cells or organs for closer examination.

4. Customization and Personalization: 3D printing allows for customization of learning materials. Teachers and students can create personalized educational tools and aids to accommodate different learning styles and abilities.

5. Project-Based Learning: 3D printing projects often involve designing, planning, and executing a project from start to finish. This fosters project-based learning, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

6. Career and Technical Education (CTE): 3D printing aligns with CTE programs by providing students with practical skills and experience in emerging technologies. This prepares them for future careers in fields such as engineering, design, and manufacturing.

7. Innovation and Creativity: Students can unleash their creativity by designing and printing their own inventions and creations. This encourages innovation and entrepreneurship.

8. Inclusivity: 3D printing can be used to create assistive devices for students with disabilities, ensuring an inclusive learning environment.

9. Global Collaboration: Through online platforms and open-source designs, students can collaborate on 3D printing projects with peers from around the world, promoting cultural exchange and global awareness.

10. Environmental Awareness: Educators can use 3D printing to teach students about sustainable design principles, recycling materials, and minimizing waste in manufacturing processes.

11. Real-World Application: 3D printing mirrors real-world manufacturing processes, providing students with a glimpse into industry practices and trends.

12. 21st-Century Skills: 3D printing fosters the development of critical 21st-century skills, including digital literacy, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability.

13. STEM Career Pathways: Exposure to 3D printing can spark students' interest in STEM fields and encourage them to pursue STEM-related career paths.

14. Increased Engagement: The novelty of 3D printing can boost student motivation and engagement in STEM subjects, which can lead to improved academic outcomes.

15. Teacher Professional Development: Grant funds can also be used for teacher training and professional development to ensure educators are proficient in using 3D printing technology effectively.

When writing your grant proposal, consider providing specific examples, success stories, and data that demonstrate how 3D printing can enhance the educational experience and outcomes for students. Tailor your proposal to align with the goals and priorities of the granting organization to increase your chances of securing funding for your educational 3D printing project.