Miramar Ranch Elementary 3D Printing Outreach Program

At the request of a computer science professor at San Diego State University, I developed and led a hands-on 3D printing and CAD design workshop for over 200 4th and 5th grade students at Miramar Ranch Elementary School. This outreach initiative aimed to engage students with STEM through interactive learning while addressing the underutilization of 3D printers in school libraries. The program served as a proof of concept for integrating 3D printing into elementary education and helped inspire the next generation of STEM learners. A gallery of images related to this project can be found at the link below.

My Role

I was responsible for the design, development, and execution of the program, which included:

• Creating instructional content to teach students about 3D printing and CAD design.
• Designing keychain templates for hands-on customization activities.
• Presenting the educational materials and guiding the students through the activities.
• Printing and delivering over 200 customized keychains for participating students.
• Analyzing survey data to evaluate the program's impact on students' interest in STEM.

Technical and Educational Details

• Instructional Content:
  • Designed presentations introducing the fundamentals of CAD design, 3D printing, and spatial reasoning.
  • Demonstrated the use of TinkerCAD, a beginner-friendly 3D modeling tool, to customize keychain templates.
• Hands-on Activities:
  • Created customizable keychain templates that students could personalize with their names and creative designs.
  • Managed the printing process for all student designs, ensuring each participant received a tangible product of their work.
• Program Insights:
  • Conducted post-session surveys to gather insights into students' experiences with STEM, confidence in problem solving, and interest in future STEM opportunities.
  • Collected data on the relationship between grade levels and STEM engagement, providing valuable insights for future outreach efforts. The data collected during the program can be viewed at the link below.

Challenges and Solutions

• Time Constraints:
  • Challenge: Presenting educational materials and guiding young students through customization activities in a limited amount of specially-allocated time in the students' school day.
  • Solution: Polished the presentations and tested the activities prior to live performances of the workshop.
• Student Engagement:
  • Challenge: Keeping young learners engaged with technical concepts.
  • Solution: Developed an interactive, visually engaging presentation and carefully designed the hands-on customization activity to make the content accessible and fun.

Outcome and Impact

• Reached over 200 students across seven interactive sessions, promoting interest in STEM and introducing key concepts in 3D printing and CAD design.
• Provided students with a tangible product (their personalized keychains) as a lasting reminder of their learning experience.
• Gathered valuable survey data to evaluate the program's success and inform future STEM outreach initiatives.
• Inspired future research and advocacy for integrating 3D printing technology into elementary education.

Why Include This Project?

This project highlights my leadership skills and ability to translate technical knowledge into impactful educational experiences. It demonstrates my ability to engage diverse audiences, manage complex workflows, and use data to gain insights into nuanced relationships, all of which are critical to success in technical and educational contexts.