Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, has a lofty goal–bring 3D printers to every school in America.  Similar to the FIRST programs for robotics, introducing 3D printing to school kids is a great way to develop future engineers.  The MakerBot Academy was launched in November 2013 and through corporate and individual partnerships, has already funded more than 1,000 teacher requests to receive a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer in the classroom. The MakerBot Academy program is available to public school teachers through DonorsChoose.org.

Joining Pettis in his efforts, is America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. And now, the Golden State Warriors NBA team has joined the MakerBot Academy initiative, helping to bring 3D printing technology to a local school in the San Francisco Bay Area. America Makes Founding Director Ralph Resnick, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis, and Warriors Forward Harrison Barnes, delivered a MakerBot® Replicator® 2 Desktop 3D Printer to Oakland High School yesterday.

America Makes and MakerBot hope that this partnership with the Golden State Warriors marks the beginning of a combined effort to reach into the communities of all 30 NBA teams through the MakerBot Academy initiative.

“It is a slam dunk for the students of Oakland High School to receive and have access to 3D printing technology, thanks to the Golden State Warriors’ support of the mission of MakerBot Academy,” said America Makes Founding Director Ralph Resnick. “We gratefully acknowledge the pledge by the Golden State Warriors to continue to participate in this initiative to reach more schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. America Makes and MakerBot also welcome the opportunity to work with more NBA teams throughout the country to bring 3D printing technology to communities across the NBA nation.”

“America Makes is incredibly proud to be a part of this collective mission to put a 3D printer in every school in America through the MakerBot Academy program,” added Mr. Resnick. “One of the key tenets of America Makes is to not only advance additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies, but also to educate students and train workers in these technologies to create an adaptive, leading U.S. workforce. This is how we grow our nation’s economy and get ahead. This is how we lead as history has proven that ‘When America Makes, America Works!'”

The MakerBot Academy is a partnership founded in November 2013 by MakerBot and America Makes, along with DonorsChoose.org and other corporate partners, and was a response to a call to action by the President of the United States.

Based in Youngstown, Ohio and driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), America Makes is the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation.

Together, America Makes and MakerBot are determined to help provide the next generation of American Makers with a relevant STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-education and access to 3D printing technology so they are prepared to solve the challenges of tomorrow.

Companies interested in partnering with America Makes and MakerBot for the MakerBot Academy can email MakerBot Academy at academy@makerbot.com or visit makerbot.com/academy.

Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com