18 students will take part in a first-of-its-kind Digital Manufacturing Workshop designed to help students pinpoint their goals and jumpstart their careers. 

Four Belmont High School students received free 3D printers Tuesday. The students are among 18 Dayton Public Schools students who will be taking part in a first-of-its-kind Digital Manufacturing Workshop.

The workshop is led by Greg Loughnane, a University of Dayton professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The 3D printers were donated by Tom Lasley, the Program Manager for Policy and Attainment and CEO Emeritus of Learn to Earn Dayton. Students will keep the printers for their own use once the workshop ends. Students who do not attend Belmont will have the printers delivered to their homes next week.

The Digital Manufacturing Workshop will be held virtually for students July 12th-23rd. Students will learn about their strengths, how to collaborate effectively, how to think like an entrepreneur and more. Each week, students will have individual and team projects involving their 3D printers.

Loughnane said the goal is to provide students with the tools and skills they need to be such valuable members of the workforce that their jobs cannot be automated in the future.

“We are going to learn 3D printing, but we are going to treat it like a microcosm of everything the 21st Century is going to demand from you,” Loughnane told students Tuesday. “As you get into the workforce, and as you try to make an impact on the world, you might find it’s not as easy as it used to be. But if you focus on just the things you’re most interested in, you can absolutely change the world in your own way.”

Students can apply the skills they will learn to a variety of fields. For example, they could print aerospace components and rockets, or use a 3D printer to build concrete houses. With the right raw materials, practically anything is possible, Loughnane told them.

After the workshop ends, Loughnane hopes to help interested students get internships and apprenticeships with local manufacturers. Three of the four Belmont students are already involved in the district’s Advanced Manufacturing pathway. Several noted they have a goal of entering an engineering career one day.

Once the Digital Manufacturing Workshop ends in late July, a free online version of the course will be released to the public on the Teachable platform.

Students who received 3D printers Tuesday include:

Holden Gray, rising 11th grader

Ben Marsh, rising 11th grader

Rahwa Mehari, rising 12th grader

Scotty Stocks, rising 12th grader