MakerBot Invests in 3D Printing Resources to Schools in 2025

UltiMaker announces the MakerBot Gives Back Initiative, which is a major pledge to provide $500,000 worth of 3D printing resources to educators, students, schools and STEM organizations across North and South Americas. 

The $500,000 MakerBot Gives Back Initiative is part of UltiMaker's effort to expand access to STEM education and learning opportunities for all students. The MakerBot Gives Back Initiative will offer 3D printers and materials, educator training and certification programs, and classroom resources to help educators integrate 3D printing into their curricula. Beyond in-kind donations, MakerBot will also provide support through new programs, including new MakerBot grants, key partnerships, and student scholarships.

“We believe that all students should have equitable access to technologies that will enable their success in and out of the classroom,” says Andrea Zermeño, manager - MakerBot Education at UltiMaker. “For nearly 15 years, we have worked closely with educators to shape and refine our 3D printers and resources so that they fit the needs of the teacher and the classroom.”

Throughout 2025, UltiMaker will introduce grants, teacher training programs, and strategic partnerships to drive STEM education forward. Educators, schools and organizations will have access to funding and resources, ensuring 3D printing remains a tool for expanding Design Thinking and classroom innovation, including:

• MakerBot Education Grants: MakerBot will offer new grant opportunities to educators, schools, and districts. Grants will be designed specifically to support educators in kickstarting or expanding 3D printing programs that equip students with needed skills. Grants will be awarded to educators, schools, and districts that integrate 3D printing as a tool for all students.
• In-kind Donations: Part of the programs will be providing in-kind donations and support for after school programs, STEM organizations, robotics programs, and other supplementary agencies that support STEM in education.
• MakerBot Scholarship for Future Innovators: MakerBot will partner with educational institutions and STEM organizations to extend the reach of this initiative.

Through the MakerBot Grants program, recipients will have access to apply for a suite of resources to successfully implement 3D printing in education. This includes MakerBot Sketch Sprint 3D printers, certification and training, professional development opportunities, filament, and replacement parts that can be accessed by schools, afterschool programs, robotics clubs and STEM organizations.

Also available is the latest MakerBot Grant Guide, which is updated annually. This guide is for educators, offering access to over 40 additional classroom funding opportunities to further STEM programs.

“At UltiMaker, we are deeply committed to ensuring that students are not just passive users of technology but active creators of the future,” says Dottie Stewart, vice president of Sales Americas at UltiMaker. “As a newly unified company, our mission is to not only provide access to technology but to ensure it is used effectively in the classroom.”

Learn more about this initiative at https://learn.makerbot.com/MakerBotGivesBackInitiative.html.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

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