2 Aug 2015

IMAGINEERING & WARWICK UNIVERSITY INTRODUCE 3D PRINTING AT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Year 6 pupils treated to special workshop

Pupils get up close with 3D printing

Learning about CAD from Warwick University student

Some of the thankyou letters from grateful pupils

Towards the end of the summer term 60 very excited and enthusiastic Year 6 pupils at St Nicholas C of E Primary School in Kenilworth Warwickshire were treated to a special 3D printing workshop, laid on at the school by lecturers and undergraduates from WMG and the School of Engineering at Warwick University. They explained and demonstrated how 3D printing works and the children were not only able to see at first-hand how a 3D printer operates but they were also able to design their own keyrings using 3D CAD which were later produced by 3D printing process.

The visit was organised and co-ordinated by Imagineering’s Bob Shanks and Margaret Low and Diane Burton from the University as part of the University’s STEM Outreach programme.

The visit was an enormous success with all the pupils, some of whom were also members of the two Imagineering Clubs at the school, and enthusiastic letters of thanks for organising the visit went to Bob Shanks and the University – each demonstrating their enthusiasm and how much they had learned.

Bob Shanks commented: ‘This was the first visit of this kind we had arranged – and we hope to do more. It was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to see at first hand and close quarters exactly how this increasingly popular technology works.’

WMG and the School of Engineering at Warwick University are currently running this project, sharing the University’s expertise in 3D Printing with local young people to help them, their parents, carers and teachers, learn about design software and how to use it effectively. 3D Printing is changing approaches to design and manufacturing in many industries. It also has the potential to engage young people in exciting and creative design work from an early age, using one of the many free downloadable 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) software packages to produce their own designs which can then be 3D printed.

The aim is to encourage young people to develop their interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Maths), using these 3D design and printing technologies.

For more information on this project go to: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/...

posted by Joy Smith | comments 0 | tagged Press releases