MakerBot Crowdfunds Effort to Put 3D Printer in Every U.S. School
Brooklyn-based 3D printing company MakerBot on Tuesday launched a new initiative to put a desktop 3D printer in every school in America, but it needs your help.
The company is calling on teachers and donors to help make the goal a reality through crowdfunding. Beginning today, teachers around the U.S. can head over to the online charity site DonorsChoose.organd request a MakerBot Academy bundle, which includes a Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer, three spools of filament (in red, white, and blue), and a year of the MakerCare service and protection plan. When making their request, teachers will need to explain what they want to do in their classroom with the device.
From there, individuals and corporations interested in helping to get 3D printers in schools can visit DonorsChoose.org, and pledge to financially support the program, choosing which schools they want to fund. One MakerBot Academy bundle costs around $2,350 – donors contribute the bulk of the cost in whatever increments they can afford, while classrooms themselves must come up with the remaining $98.