Guide to the Toshiba Grant | Teach Science & Maths with 3D Printing

If you are looking at introducing or expanding 3D printing and design for your school, then Makers Empire can try to help you achieve funding for such a program through the Toshiba Grant.

Toshiba America Foundation believes science and mathematics are exciting fields in which all students can succeed with the proper tools and instruction, and funds schools for up to $5,000 or more than $5,000 (depending which grant you choose).

Makers Empire provides schools with all the tools for a successful 3D printing and design program. This includes 3D printers, easy to use 3D design software, lesson plans aligned to standards, professional development and teacher management tools.

Important Dates

Grant Type

6-12  (More than $5K)

Applications Open

October, 2021 .
Please check grant website for grant closing date. 

Decision By

1st January, 2022

Funds Received By

15th February, 2022

Grant Aims and Objectives and Fit with Makers Empire

Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) accepts applications from teachers who are passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students. TAF grants fund the projects ideas and materials teachers need to innovate in their math and science classrooms.

Toshiba America Foundation believes science and mathematics are exciting fields in which all students can succeed with the proper tools and instruction.

Toshiba America Foundation grants support public and nonprofit private schools throughout the United States.

The Toshiba Grant is a great fit with Makers Empire as Makers Empire’s makes Maths and Science fun and engaging. With Makers Empire, students learn how to solve real-life problems involving Mathematics and Science, making the learning deeper and more meaningful.

Imagine teaching your students about mathematics concepts like distances and area by having them create their own 3D mazes (see Amazing Mazes lesson plan) or about volume by having them create a 3D printed mould and calculating the amount of chocolate needed to fill it (Chocolate Mould lesson plan).

Consider teaching your students about Scientific concepts like light by having them create personalised 3D printed bubble wands (Colorful Bubbles lesson plan).

You could also teach your students about sustainable sources of energy by having them collaborate to create a 3D printed town that is lit by fairy lights powered by wind energy that they’ve harnessed via wind turbines (Windy City lesson plan).

The possibilities for truly engaging, authentic learning in maths and science with Makers Empire are endless!

What could my school receive with the Toshiba Grant?

Nonprofit private or public US school and religious-affiliated schools are eligible for the Toshiba Grant.

You need to have grade 6 or higher at your school, too. K-5 only schools can’t apply for this specific grant.

The Toshiba Grant allows schools to get $5,000 or more in funding towards STEM programs. There are two Toshiba grants, one for more than $5,000 and for less than $5,000.

If you are successful, you can get enough money to fund the complete Makers Empire 3D printing program at the school, for multiple years, including 3D printers, starting supplies, professional development, software, lesson plans etc.

With the grant up to $5,000, schools can fund two medium-sized 3D printers, filament, online training, Maker Empire 3D design software, professional development, and curriculum aligned lesson plans for 24 months.

The grant for more than $5,000 allows schools to fund three 3D printers and 36 months full Makers Empire access!

What does my school need to commit to?

To apply for the Toshiba grant to get 3D printing with Makers Empire, a school needs to request a quote, and come up with a project idea to integrate 3D printing into the classroom.

No financial commitment from the schools is required. The Toshiba grant does not require any matching funding, and all the tools for a school to successfully implement 3D printing into the classroom are covered by the grant.

We can help you come up with a suitable project idea. Depending on your previous grant writing experience, you can complete the grant in a day or two.

 

Application Process: Suggested Steps

For schools who choose Makers Empire for their grant submission, we recommend the following approach.

Please read over all the steps before starting your application.

 

Step 1: consider Makers Empire

To learn more about Makers Empire, and see if this is the right solution for your school, please watch these short videos.

Our 3D solutions for schools utilize design thinking frameworks as a way of getting students to engage in problem-solving. 3D printing and design are great tools with which to experience design thinking. Plus, they help educators teach students STEM concepts in an engaging way while providing them with a truly 21st-century learning experience.

“This has been a wonderful new way to teach and motivate my students… They are beginning to see real-life implications to what they learning to do in class and how they could develop prototypes of objects that they could develop and then produce to sell…The overall enthusiasm towards school and learning has increased tremendously. Students who are typically reluctant learners have come to life,”
– Robin McGinnis, Teacher
North Elementary School, USA

Step 2: start your application

Review the grant information. Then learn more about this specific grant and start your application. 

Applications must be for project-based learning so you must create a project that will utilise 3D design and 3d printing to be eligible for this grant. They do not consider requests solely for:

  • General operations
  • Capital projects
  • Endowments
  • Conferences
  • Fund raising events or similar activities
  • Religious or political projects
  • Individuals
  • Summer projects
  • Club activities
  • After school programs
  • Salaries
  • Facility maintenance
  • Textbooks
  • Audio-visual equipment (e.g. smart boards, document projectors, student response systems) & education research
  • Computer hardware (including laptops, desktop computers, and tablets) or microscopes

If you decide to apply for The Toshiba grant to purchase a Makers Empire solution, you must request a quote as quotation.

Step 1 of 3

Step 3: request a quotation

Tell us a little more about your school so we can generate your personalized quotation for you to submit with your Toshiba grant application. We promise never to share your information – see our Privacy Policy.

“We first began designing using Tinkercad, a terrific CAD program and widely accepted by schools. Some of my older students were able to grasp the mechanics of designing things but that’s all it was, designing things. It had no connection to what we were learning and studying in school. It was isolated and, to be honest probably more trouble than it was worth. I hadn’t found a way to connect this great tool to the needs of my students… I had been searching the blogs looking for resources to teach the curriculum when I discovered the Makers Empire software… Clicking on their website and watching a few tutorials I immediately could tell I had found something special. There was something simplistic to Makers Empire’s approach of complex design. The website offered video tutorials, downloadable resources, and an iPad friendly interface… It took me a while, but what I finally realized was that 3D printing and design is not what I am teaching, but rather how I am teaching… Sure, there are technical skills that both the teacher and students need in order to make a design and have it print out correctly but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Makers Empire software allows kids to express themselves and to show what they have learned in other realms of the curriculum.”

Christopher Burdman, STEM Teacher
Tynan Elementary School, Boston

Step 4: Decide on a project

As part of the application process, you will need to come up with an 3D printing and design idea/project for your grade 6+ students.

For example, a Houston school received a grant to investigate solutions into preventing their school and neighbouring low lying houses from being flooded. The students were asked to design in 3D, prototypes of houses and buildings that could withstand rising water levels. The students could then print these prototypes out, and also build them in other materials to test out their creations.

Here are some project ideas that have been funded (not always 3D based). We can also send you a sample successfully completed grant application.

If you have earlier grade students, just include the grade 6+ students for the project proposal. If you are successful, you will be able to use the Makers Empire Learning Program from grades K through 8.

Step 5: Submit your application

We suggest having your application fully prepared in a seperate document so that you can submit it easily online.

Then submit your application online as per step 1 above if you created a grant application account. Make sure to include your school’s quotation for your Makers Empire solution. 

If you need help with your application please email us at info[at]makersempire.com with subject: “TOSHIBA GRANT SUPPORT.”

Good luck!