With a commitment to youth enterprise, educators get a 3D printer and training from the Digital Harbor Foundation
Baltimore, Md. — The Digital Harbor Foundation (DHF), a youth-oriented makerspace dedicated to fostering innovation, tech advancement and entrepreneurship, is pleased to announce the launch of the DHF Perpetual Innovation Fund, a new initiative to support 3D printing entrepreneurship in schools and organizations across the country. The new program is designed to make technology and training accessible for any educator who wants to jumpstart 3D printing in their school or organization.
Interested educators are paired with a mentor and asked to submit a simple business plan for how they will use a 3D printer to create a self-sustaining youth enterprise by printing and selling 3D printed objects. After educators receive their 3D printers and training, they are asked to pay-it-forward by contributing a portion of the profits from their youth enterprises back into the fund to support another educator’s printer and training.
“We literally believe that 3D printers can pay for themselves,” said DHF Executive Director Andrew Coy. “At the Digital Harbor Foundation we want to empower educators from around the country who are teaching practical 21st century job skills that students need for the workforce of tomorrow. The pay-it-forward mentality creates a sustainable funding cycle that will empower even more educators to support youth enterprises.”
The Perpetual Innovation Fund received seed funding through a commitment from the
Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. The initiative, part of the DHF Center of Excellence for
Innovation in Technology Education which launched in June 2014 at the White House Maker
Faire, is a national program of the Digital Harbor Foundation. Each educator-funded project
is anticipated to receive approximately $1,500 of equipment and training.
About the Digital Harbor Foundation:
The Digital Harbor Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Baltimore City dedicated to fostering innovation, tech advancement, and entrepreneurship by helping youth develop digital age skills through maker activities and tech training. In 2013, DHF was proud to reopen one of Baltimore City’s closed Rec Centers as the Digital Harbor Foundation Tech Center, a youth-centric makerspace.
To learn more, visit http://digitalharbor.org
To view a short video, go to http://bit.ly/1C75m05