REQUEST TO PURCHASE MAKERS EMPIRE

Keen to get Makers Empire for your school? Copy and modify the below template to help convince your principal.

RE: REQUEST TO PURCHASE MAKERS EMPIRE

Dear [principal’s name]

I would like to request your approval to purchase Makers Empire for our school.

What is Makers Empire?

Makers Empire is an award-winning, evidence-based program for schools that helps teachers harness the power of 3D printing to teach Design Thinking, make STEM learning fun and engage all students, including reluctant learners and students with special needs.

With Makers Empire, students learn how to use Design Thinking and 3D printing to identify and solve real-world problems, to create and prototype 3D printed designs and to test and iterate solutions. Implementing Makers Empire at our school will allow us to help prepare our students for their future jobs, increase student engagement, deepen understanding, enhance collaboration and improve student performance.

Makers Empire provides everything schools need to integrate 3D technology successfully, including easy to use 3D design software, professional development for teachers, 150+ curriculum-aligned lesson plans, class management tools, built-in student assessment, training and support. Makers Empire was ranked second out of 180 EdTech products reviewed by Common Sense Education last year — see https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-edtech-of-2018 — and is used by 850,0000 students in forty countries.

You can learn more about the company and the university research on its products here — https://www.makersempire.com/for-schools/. Teacher testimonials, videos and case studies can also be found here – https://www.makersempire.com/our-teachers/

How does Makers Empire align with our school goals?

1. To help prepare our students for future careers

85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. We need to help our students become creators, innovators and problem-solvers who can adapt and pivot when necessary to thrive in this dynamic future. Design Thinking is a non-linear, iterative and human-centred process that helps students to reframe problems as opportunities. Teaching students Design Thinking helps them develop a growth mindset and essential problem solving, analytical and spatial thinking skills.

2. To support STEM learning

Makers Empire is a wonderful tool to make STEM/STEAM learning fun and to encourage a love of STEM, particularly in girls. See this article – https://www.makersempire.com/encouraging-girls-in-stem-how-your-school-can-make-a-difference/

3. To improve student engagement and performance

Makers Empire can be used to deepen understanding, engagement and performance in all subjects across the curriculum. For example, teachers found getting students to design characters in Makers Empire led to greatly improved persuasive writing skills in English/Language class because students had to think deeply about the design decisions they had made when creating their characters.

4. To provide expert tools, professional development, resources, training and support for staff

Many schools begin 3D printing programs but run into difficulties when teachers find the technology intimidating and/or realise how much work is required to create the resources, training and support needed for a successful program. By purchasing Makers Empire, we will give our school community the best chance of success and a positive experience for teachers and staff.

5. To help ALL our students succeed

Makers Empire is an excellent way to engage our reluctant learners, students with individual learning programs and students with special needs. Teachers report that Makers Empire helps students who don’t usually shine in the classroom learn happily alongside their peers, and in many cases, even take on a leadership role with 3D technology. This means less disruptions and more learning for all students.

6. Curriculum-aligned resources

Makers Empire is aligned to the world-leading Makers Empire Design & Technology Curriculum, which is in turn aligned to the following international curriculum: ISTE Standards for Educators, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Australian Curriculum

Add any other specific school goals.

What resources are required?

• We purchase Makers Empire to use (see the official quotation attached).
• We use the school computer room or library, the school’s devices and the school’s usual internet access.
• We use the school 3D printer and filament OR we purchase a recommended 3D printer and filament.
• No other equipment or expenses are required from the school.
• At least two teachers to lead the program, with student experts identified from within the group to support fellow students

How would we implement this?

1. Purchase Makers Empire

Purchase Makers Empire for our school – I have attached a quotation. If the school budget does not allow for this at the moment, we could look at funding this purchase via a school grant or a fundraising appeal to our school community.

2. Demo for Staff

Once I have completed the Makers Empire onboarding and professional development video training, I will do a demo for the teachers at our school so that interested teachers can nominate to be part of the pilot. Makers Empire’s customer success manager is also available to support us as needed.

3. Start a Pilot

We start using Makers Empire in 1-3 classes or a lunchtime or afterschool makerspace/3D printing club setting. This way we can launch our 3D printing program with a pilot involving a small group of students before expanding it to other classes and grades. Students and teachers can grow in confidence together, and we can identify teachers and students who can help support and mentor their peers when we roll it out to the wider school.

4. Get Parents Involved

Encourage parents to get involved and support their child’s learning. Makers Empire can be used on all computers and devices at school and at home so students can work on their designs wherever they are. See information for parents – https://www.makersempire.com/for-parents-guardians/

5. Present the Findings of the Pilot and a Draft Roadmap for the School

At an agreed time I will get a group of students to present what they have learned with Makers Empire and share key takeaways and a draft plan of how to expand the pilot program across the school for feedback and consensus.

Thanks for taking the time to review this request, and I look forward to talking to you more about it.

Best regards,

[Your name]