My Students

I want my students to understand the importance of agriscience and biotechnology in our changing environment and how they can make an impact on not only their lives, but the lives of others. I believe that by introducing them to engineering and 3D printing, they can discover their potential.

My students come from 5 counties in Northeastern North Carolina.

The communities they come from are mainly agriculturally and medically focused communities with little access to newer technologies or scientific labs in public schools. They come from extremely different backgrounds and come into our school not knowing each other but form a family after a very short time together. Most of them are not children of farmers or scientists but they are still interested in agriscience and biotechnology. They are starting to understand the importance of both of these fields of science to not only our state, but to our world. As a school, we are trying to expand their horizons to show them how they can change the world through both of these fields. It is a STEM Early College High School with a focus on Agriscience and Biotechnology. Every student in the school is a member of the Future Farmers of America and participates in events throughout the year in the national organization.

My Project

I will have my students use the 3D printer after studying the Engineering Design Process and analyzing products that would be beneficial to our study of agriscience and biotechnology. I want my students to start building equipment, machines, and robotics that can be used on the farm, in the greenhouse, and in the science lab. One of the projects my students can use the 3D printer for will be to create parts for a robot that we can use for taking soil samples, recording GPS data, and grading/inspecting crops. After students explore how to design and build simple objects using the printer, then they will move on to designing more complicated pieces that can be built with the 3D printer. With the 3D printer, my students will also be able to make a 3D replica frog and parts to be used in dissections as practice materials prior to real dissection lab experiences. This opportunity will help my students expand their learning possibilities.

Having a 3D printer will allow my students to create things that they never thought they could.

It will allow them to realize what it is like to design, build, test, and create something all of their own and take ownership and pride of that accomplishment. It will also allow them to start building products that could change the world through agriculture and biotechnology. A 3D printer will let my students use their imagination to change the world for the better.