Templeton Middle School Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) students will receive upgraded and expanded 3D printing technology in their classroom thanks to a grant from the Milwaukee Society of Plastics Engineering Education Foundation. The grant money will allow for the purchase of equipment to support hands-on plastics education and advanced manufacturing experiences for students.
“We do a lot of 3D printing at TMS,” explains Templeton Middle School Applied Engineering and Technology Teacher Shannon Flaherty. “Currently, we have eight 3D printers that run constantly from September to June. These printers have been workhorses for the past three years and have reached the end of their expected lifespan,” he shares. “Based on the number of students that we have moving through our classrooms each day, we have found that eight printers are necessary to keep up with 3D printing in a timely way,” Flaherty adds.
The $3992 grant will be used to upgrade and expand TMS’s 3D printing capabilities, replacing aging printers. These state-of-the-art machines will significantly improve print quality, reliability and speed, allowing students to take their designs from concept to finished product more efficiently.
Approximately 380 seventh grade students complete a quarter of AET every school year, as part of their elective rotation at TMS. More than 100 eighth grade students chose to enroll in the elective course during their second year at TMS. Based upon student hours, AET is the largest elective offering at TMS, with all participating students engaging in plastics design and fabrication.
The Milwaukee Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) has been a longtime supporter of plastics education in the Hamilton School District. Its contributions are acknowledged in the TMS AET classroom and shared with families through the AET department’s weekly newsletter.
“Each year the Milwaukee SPE Engineering Foundation reviews applications from qualified Wisconsin Schools,” explains Milwaukee Society of Plastics Engineering Education Foundation Secretary Jason Braman who is a senior account manager for Chase Plastics in Pewaukee. “Recipients are awarded the grant based on a vote by elected members of the education foundation.”
“Templeton Middle School extends its sincere thanks to the foundation for its continued investment in student learning and for helping inspire the next generation of designers, engineers and problem-solvers,” says Flaherty.