Case Study: a leading secondary school boosts classroom design and prototyping with MakerBot Sketch Sprint

One Educator’s Perspective of 3D Printing in the Classroom with MakerBot Sprint

The customer, a leading secondary school, faced limitations in its fabrication lab where traditional 3D printers were too slow, causing scaled-down student projects, incomplete assignments, and frustration. This hindered the hands-on, iterative design process essential for courses ranging from introductory design to upper-level engineering. Seeking a tool built for a busy classroom environment, the school integrated MakerBot Sketch Sprint 3D printers.

MakerBot addressed this with the Sketch Sprint, a printer designed for education that prints up to 5x faster than competitors. This speed allowed students to complete entire feedback loops in a single class period, enabling more ambitious projects and deeper iteration. The solution's reliability, with features like automatic leveling and an intuitive interface, minimized failed prints and troubleshooting. As a result, student engagement and boldness increased dramatically; one project that previously took a week was completed in just a couple of days, freeing up time for extended learning. MakerBot's solution transformed 3D printing into a streamlined, accessible, and safe core tool for the classroom.