#TeachWithTech Grant Makes 3D Printing Accessible and Ecological at MDIRSS/AOS #91

The Mount Desert Island Regional School System's (MDIRSS/AOS #91) Filabot Full Recycling initiative is creating new opportunities and ways of engaging in innovative educational practices in environmentally and economically conscious ways that foster interdisciplinary collaboration, improve engagement, increase student motivation, promote the growth in critical thinking skills, and stimulate thinking about ecologically sustainable practices in a high-tech world.

Funded by a $35,322 #TeachwithTech grant from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), the initiative is part of a project led by MDIRSS/AOS #91 IT Lead Luis Jones-Rodriguez, working with MDIRSS K-8 Educational Technology Lead Cindy Lambert and Pemetic Elementary School IT Integrator Mike Brzezowski, to reignite the district's use of 3D printers for curricular purposes in ways that are more economical, ecological, and innovative. The district is one of 33 schools or school districts that received this grant.

What could be more fun and engaging than learning some of the principles of the scientific method and physics by making and launching your own rocket? While many students have done some iteration of the bottle rocket task using a plastic soda bottle and some type of launcher, students at the Pemetic Elementary School can design and create their own rockets using the school's 3D printers, marrying curriculum, practical application, and innovation.

"The 3D printed rockets are part of science class. This year they will do data collection on a standard 'control' rocket and be introduced to a few physics' principles. Next year they learn more about the principles governing rockets and will create a modified design to compete in either an accuracy or a distance challenge," said Brzezowski.

Projects like these can be exciting and interesting for teachers and students alike, but they also can be costly and wasteful. According to 3D4Create, a spool of filament will print 20-30 five- to six-inch tall models with 15-20% infill ("infill" refers to the internal structure of a printed item that gives it weight and strength). Each one kg spool can cost between $19-$32, which makes errors, a natural part of learning, and the inevitable production of waste byproducts costly. Jones-Rodriguez's grant-funded project will allow the school district to make filament from discarded 3D printed projects otherwise destined for landfill, printing waste, and recyclable plastics that can be used in every school. The Teach with Tech grant has enabled Jones-Rodriguez to purchase the equipment needed to establish a complete recycling system that, besides producing savings in the schools' budgets, will "also allow the kids to make mistakes" without having to worry about the cost of those errors and promote sustainable practices island-wide. The new equipment can produce recycled filament in any color and in 1.75mm and 2.85mm thicknesses.

The goal, said Jones-Rodriguez, "is that no school will buy filament whatsoever and to have a place where plastics can be recycled instead of put into a landfill." The recycling and production process will serve all of the MDIRSS/AOS #91. Schools have recycling containers to collect commercial food-grade plastics like soda bottles and milk jugs, and Jones-Rodriguez aspires to collect materials community-wide one day. Once it is fully operational, he estimates that the district could save an estimated $1,250 a month or $15,000 a year on filament costs.

Sustainability concerns and frustration with limiting resources also were driving factors behind this project. There had been pushback and 3D printing had started to fall out of favor because "anything that is printed was not recyclable," said Jones-Rodriguez. In 2015, there was at least one 3D printer in one of the ten schools in MDIRSS/AOS #91. By 2022-2023, the eight schools on Mount Desert Island had "maybe two each," according to Jones-Rodriguez. Not only were four schools left out of luck, but the ones in place were old and took a long time to print. Their use had fallen because "the old ones would take a week or more" to print items for just one class because they "were prone to failure and very slow." In the pre-COVID era, some of the district's schools were using some printers, including MDI High School, whose Maker Space students produced "ear savers" for face masks during the COVID period. Today the district's schools have been outfitted with new printers that can print up to a "full class's worth" of projects in one day, he said.

While the complete recycling process is time-consuming, it will be worthwhile. The home-grown filament project opens the door to a greater variety of items the students can create through the types of recycled plastics that are collected. "Different plastics have different uses," he said. While filament made from food-safe plastics can be more durable, for instance, they have a low heat resistance, which can make them unsuitable for outdoor use. "Nylon from fishermen is what I'm really excited about because that's the most durable." The plastic nylon used in nets and lines has higher heat resistance and is UV-resistant, making it ideal for filament that can be used for products like lampshades and outdoor furniture. "Everyone is excited that it's making 3D printing eco-friendly," Jones-Rodriguez said.

Ultimately the goal is to incorporate 3D printing projects across the curriculum and in different subject areas, Jones-Rodriguez said. At Pemetic Elementary School, that has already started under Brzezowski's guidance. While the Pemetic science class is working with rockets, one of the school's French classes is printing chocolate molds that will be used to create chocolate bars with custom wrappers. The wrappers will "have reference to French culture, history, and symbology" and once the students make and wrap the bars using the molds, they will hold a "French Chocolate Market" at Birch Bay Retirement Village, where students will be able to talk to the residents about their chocolates and French culture, and residents will be able to "purchase" the chocolates with tokens they have been given, said Brzezowski. From a French classroom to a Maker Space and then into the community, all wrapped up in a chocolate bar, what student could argue with that?

The Maine Department of Education's TeachWithTech grant is part of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). The grant is awarded to MLTI schools through a formal grant process and provides supplemental technology and related professional learning to support innovative teaching and learning with technology. Learn more about the TeachWithTech Grant here.

This story was submitted by Mount Desert Island Regional School System (MDIRSS/AOS #91). To submit good news about your school to the Maine Department of Education, complete our Good News Submission form.