Printers 4 Kids
Creating engaging STEAM kits from sustainably sourced materials to support schools at no cost to the educators.
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Printers 4 Kids aims to capture the value lost to electronic devices filling up landfills. We will carry this out by disassembling E-waste (discarded electronics) headed to landfills in order to create a recycling process that re-introduces 100% of the electronics to the product life cycle. Our current example and pioneer project is the wind turbine STEM kit made with salvaged DC motors from discarded UVA printers. The construction of these kits reduces landfill waste, provides free STEM resources to local schools, and creates learning opportunities for higher level students in education planning, engineering design, sustainability, and more.
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Implementation and Distribution
We are bringing these kits to Charlottesville schools to help inspire sustainable STEAM education.
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One of our hallmark goals is to combat equity in and outside of the classroom. Our main target group is to support schools and students that cannot access STEAM materials easily.
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If you are interested in receiving our STEAM materials, either classroom/school level or individually, please fill out this form.
We are bringing these kits to Charlottesville schools to help inspire sustainable STEAM education.
​
One of our hallmark goals is to combat equity in and outside of the classroom. Our main target group is to support schools and students that cannot access STEAM materials easily.
​
If you are interested in receiving our STEAM materials, either classroom/school level or individually, please fill out this form.
03
Implementation and Distribution
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Manufacturing the Kits
Current STEAM kits are one-time uses, require disassembly for recycling, and are not made from recycled materials.
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The materials from our kits are sourced from salvaged electronics and in the future, recycled plastic.
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Our goal is to make 99% of every kit from recycled materials. Currently we are starting UVAs first plastic recycling mill! The recycled plastic will be used to 3D print parts for the kits.
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Creating the Kit Designs
We identify online standards of learning and under-implemented STEM lessons as target areas for our kit design.
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With 3-D design, we create learning kits around these lesson topics that incorporate sustainable materials and prioritize class implementation structure.
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We want to help alleviate teaching workload! Not add to it.
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Accompanying Course Material
We will post our course material here for free use! If you are interested in more educational resources, check out are Dis and Des class page.
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Please provide credit.
Wind Turbine Kit
Created using salvaged DC Motors and 3D printed parts to increase access to wind energy education!