Monte Vista Schools launches new 3D printing MakerSpace

MONTE VISTA—Kicking off the new school year, the Monte Vista MakerSpace opened for student use at Monte Vista High School.
The MakerSpace includes four new 3D printers, Lulzbots and Makerbots, a new Legacy CNC router (Computer Numeric al Control router), which uses student designed CAD projects to cut materials such as wood, composites, aluminum, plastics and foams. Other tools include a sewing machine and serger for student textile projects, including sewing e-textiles with conductive thread.
In partnership with funding from the Monte Vista School District, Monte Vista Education Foundation, Monte Vista Economic Development Council, Alpine Artists and the Colorado Migrant Education Program, the STEM department converted the computer lab between the Monte Vista High School art and woodshop into the Monte Vista MakerSpace. Currently, the MakerSpace is used by the Pirate Robotics Team, engineering classes, art classes, manufacturing classes and 3D printing STEM classes to explore and develop creative career opportunities.
According to Monte Vista STEM teacher Gina Randolph, “the Maker movement is a nationwide trend of creativity and invention that uses any element of technology skills to make or design something on your own and incorporate the engineering design process into designing, prototyping, producing, marketing and promoting a useful product. A MakerSpace introduces students to Computer Aided Design and technology-related careers, while motivating creativity and inventive problem-solving. “
The Pirates Robotics Team will be competing in the 2017 SoCo BEST Robotics challenge at Trinidad Junior College this fall as well. The competition kicked off on Sept. 2; there will be a practice day on Oct. 7 and the competition on Oct. 14. According to TSJC, the competition day involves “… a round-robin type tournament [where] the teams will compete against each other (four teams on the game field at a time) in multiple rounds.”
The MakerSpace includes four new 3D printers, Lulzbots and Makerbots, a new Legacy CNC router (Computer Numeric al Control router), which uses student designed CAD projects to cut materials such as wood, composites, aluminum, plastics and foams. Other tools include a sewing machine and serger for student textile projects, including sewing e-textiles with conductive thread.
In partnership with funding from the Monte Vista School District, Monte Vista Education Foundation, Monte Vista Economic Development Council, Alpine Artists and the Colorado Migrant Education Program, the STEM department converted the computer lab between the Monte Vista High School art and woodshop into the Monte Vista MakerSpace. Currently, the MakerSpace is used by the Pirate Robotics Team, engineering classes, art classes, manufacturing classes and 3D printing STEM classes to explore and develop creative career opportunities.
According to Monte Vista STEM teacher Gina Randolph, “the Maker movement is a nationwide trend of creativity and invention that uses any element of technology skills to make or design something on your own and incorporate the engineering design process into designing, prototyping, producing, marketing and promoting a useful product. A MakerSpace introduces students to Computer Aided Design and technology-related careers, while motivating creativity and inventive problem-solving. “
The Pirates Robotics Team will be competing in the 2017 SoCo BEST Robotics challenge at Trinidad Junior College this fall as well. The competition kicked off on Sept. 2; there will be a practice day on Oct. 7 and the competition on Oct. 14. According to TSJC, the competition day involves “… a round-robin type tournament [where] the teams will compete against each other (four teams on the game field at a time) in multiple rounds.”


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