Case Study: Montclair School District prepares students for future innovation and builds foundational STEAM skills with MakerBot

Building a New Educational Foundation at Nishuane Elementary with Makerbot

Montclair School District aimed to strengthen STEAM learning at Nishuane Elementary and across the district by introducing 3D printing into early grades, but teachers like technology teacher Donna McGowan were initially unsure how to teach it to second graders. With a donation enabling the district to install at least one MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer (5th Generation) in every school, MakerBot provided hardware (including the Replicator Mini+), training, and Thingiverse Education resources to equip teachers and integrate 3D printing into the curriculum.

Using MakerBot, McGowan rolled out hands-on Tinkercad lessons—nameplates and 3D pie-chart projects aligned to NJ Common Core 8.2—that turned abstract data into tangible models, increased student engagement and retention, and taught iterative design and troubleshooting. MakerBot Print’s preview and auto-arrange features streamlined classroom printing, delivering a scalable, district-wide solution that readies students for future STEAM opportunities.

Montclair School District

Donna McGowan

Technology Teacher