3D printing has become standard practice in colleges and technical schools looking to provide students access to fast prototyping and parts manufacturing on-site in the fast-paced world of digital fabrication.

In Lake Bluff, students benefit from access to a 3D printer first through the simple acquisition of knowledge to new technologies. They become aware that creating something from nothing is an important aspect of utilizing today’s technologies to solve real-world problems. Once they have an introduction to the capabilities of a 3D printer, they are able to move to a more important (and exciting) step in their education: innovation. Through hands-on activities and problem based learning techniques, students are able to turn to 3D printing to rapidly test out prototypes and make necessary adjustments prior to finalizing their parts. 3D printing can be implemented across multiple subject areas.