Guide to the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program

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 Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program.

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.

The grant program is now open.

“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, USA8, 

About the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program

The Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program provides financial support to communities in one or more strategic areas of giving.

For schools, the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program provides funds for Education with a focus on STEM. Grants defined as education with a focus on STEM are those used to improve knowledge and literacy with a focus in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math among students, teachers and the general public.

Westinghouse accepts applications for the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program on a rolling basis so you can apply at any time.
 
Schools within a 50-mile radius from a Westinghouse site are eligible.
 
Please check the published grant restrictions.
 To apply for the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program to get 3D printing with Makers Empire, a school needs to request a quote, and come up with a project idea to enhance STEM learning using 3D printing into the classroom. We can help you come up with a project idea.
 
To help you frame your proposal, consider the following questions:
  • Will this grant enhance a STEM subject-matter for students or teachers in all or any grades, kindergarten through college/university level, or for the general public?
  • Will the grant assist an overall mission of educating?
  • Will the grant be used to help spark an interest in STEM-related careers among youth?

The Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program does not require any matching funding or other financial commitment. All the tools for a school to successfully implement 3D printing into the classroom are covered by the grant.

What could my school receive with this funding?

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

With a grant of $2,500, schools can fund one medium-sized 3D printers, filament, online training, Maker Empire 3D design software, professional development, and curriculum aligned lesson plans for 12 months.

With a grant of $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.

What are the grant application requirements?

A school that wants to apply for this grant must compose a formal proposal with specific requirements. For a proposal to be considered by the Westinghouse Charitable Giving Advisory Board, not only must it meet one of our strategic areas of giving, but the specified information must be submitted in the organization’s proposal in one pdf file.

 

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 this tour video. 

Step 2: start your application

Review all grant information thoroughly to ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria. Remember, you will need to confirm that your school lies within a 50-mile radius of a Westinghouse site.

Step 1 of 2

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 Westinghouse 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: Plan a STEM project

As an important part of the application process, you will need to come up with a STEM-focused idea/project involving 3D printing for your students. We can help provide ideas for projects and resources to help you complete this part of the application. If you need help with your application please email us at info@makersempire.com, subject: “WESTINGHOUSE” or you can also organize a video call to speak with us.

Step 5: Submit your application

Once you have composed a formal proposal with all the required information, please submit your grant as one PDF to WECgiving@westinghouse.com.