For Immediate Release-January 23^rd, 2014

The Rego Park Green Alliance

43-01 22^nd Street

LIC, NY 11101

347.201.2186 (office)            917.587.3089 (cell)

 

Queens Students Gets Their Own 3D Printing Challenge

And a chance to educate hundreds

 

For the last year, the Rego Park Green Alliance has been taking a suitcase all over Queens to teach 3d design and printing. Their partnership with the Queens Public Library has made it possible to reach students of divers backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. “Queens Libraries are essential to the equitable distribution of education and technology,’ says Executive Director, Yvonne Shortt, of the Rego Park Green Alliance.

 

All over Queens, students have learned to design and fabricate objects with little more than a laptop, software, and access to a 3d printer.  And now Ms. Shortt is thinking bigger. “When we teach, we have 10-20 students. Now, imagine if we teach teachers, we could help educate thousands.” And with that in mind the Rego Park Green Alliance has initiated a 3D challenge, that has trained over 10 teachers, will educate over 100 students, and will educate hundreds of other parents and students in surrounding communities with a culminating event May 4^th in Rego Park at P.S. 175. The teachers trained come from public schools, private schools, after-schools, and community organizations. We are incredibly thankful to the staff and principal of P.S. 175 for agreeing to house the event and Woodside on the Move, P.S. 174, P.S. 175, the P.T.A. of P.S. 139, Queens Paideia, and Divas for Social Justice for helping pilot the challenge.

 

The challenge is given a 6x6x6 inch box, the students must design a play set to fit in it.  Then, the students must bring their box (play set inside) to the challenge where they will explain it to the community and a panel of judges.  There will also be a live challenge where students will have to design something collaboratively with their team in 1 hour.  High school and college students will also be invited to ask questions of the students in 3^rd-8^th grade.  

 

The challenge comes from the fact that many moms want their children to spend less time with video games and more time creatively playing.  “The objects the kids are creating are small so they can be taken in the car, to relative’s house, and on a plane,” says Mr. West an advisory board member of the Rego Park Green Alliance.  “The students will design toys they like and I think the adults will be pleasantly surprised,” said Ms. Shortt.

 

For additional information please contact Ms. Shortt at 917.597.3089 or go to www.regoparkgreenalliance.org