As someone who attended the School Library Association South Australia (SLASA) conference and connected with us there, you understand the learning potential of 3D technology.
Makers Empire helps schools maximise the learning potential of 3D technology, cover Design & Technologies curriculum, and teach Design Thinking, STEM concepts and 21st-century learning skills. Teachers are supported by comprehensive resources, easy to use software and class management tools, professional development, and ongoing support provided by Makers Empire’s customer service team.
Common Sense Education ranked Makers Empire second out of 180 EdTech products reviewed for their Best EdTech of 2018 List.
How Educators Use Makers Empire To Teach
How a School Librarian is Leading 3D Printing Across Her School Campuses
“By teaching Makers Empire through the library I am able to implement its use across the entire school and support all teachers using it. Some teachers are happy for me to simply show them how to use it and help set up usernames and passwords and then they use it independently with their own students. Others would like to work with me to lead its implementation in their classroom.”
How 3D Printing Helped My Students Create a School Nature Play Space
“The success and accomplishment that was felt by solving a real-world problem with our ‘Nature Play’ project was incredible. The students that were involved feel a strong connection to the space and are proud of how their small idea and hopes turned into something real that could be enjoyed by the whole school and members of the community.”
5 Videos By Schools That Show the Design Thinking Cycle in Action
When explaining the Design Thinking cycle to students it often helps to have an example that you can use to demonstrate the five stages. So here are five videos made by schools showing how their students use the Design Thinking cycle and Makers Empire to identify and solve real-world problems, needs and opportunities.
Evidence-Based Learning Ensures Success
Makers Empire’s Learning by Design course was the subject of a recent Macquarie University research study on makerspaces in primary school settings.
The research study examined how maker activities using 3D design and 3D printing technology could enhance learning and teaching outcomes.
The recently published research study report reveals the compelling benefits of this type of learning for primary educators and showed that makerspaces can be highly effective at developing children’s creativity, critical thinking, design thinking and digital skills.
Students were highly engaged with the 3D technology, and the idea of solving genuine design challenges – it helped boost their confidence and resilience when dealing with setbacks, particularly for those less capable students.
Teachers became more comfortable with technology, and more collaborative and flexible in their teaching.
All of the 24 classroom teachers who participated in the focus group expressed a desire to integrate 3D design-based makerspaces into their future classes.
What Educators Think of Makers Empire
“The teacher resources were comprehensive and supported the easy implementation of the lesson. The Makers Empire 3D design app made sophisticated designing available and accessible to young students. They were totally engaged as they designed their very own 3D Hungry Caterpillar.”
“At Scotch College Adelaide, 3D printing has been integrated into the Year 6 curriculum during the past 12 months. The pupils really enjoy utilising 3D printing technology in the classroom and the session provided by Makers Empire allowed the students to showcase their knowledge and creativity. This was yet another opportunity for our students to extend their learning.”
“I’ve been astounded at how much the students using (Makers Empire) have developed over the last 18 months. The kinds of design they’re doing now are very sophisticated. I give them a design brief and the extent to which they take it always surprises me. Using (Makers Empire) has really accelerated their learning.”
“It was an absolute delight to have you work with my Foundation (5 year old) students. They’re still talking about the experience! … What you presented to the children was fantastic! Thank you for presenting an age appropriate and engaging lesson. The lesson was scaffolded to suit the needs of Foundation students and the students felt so proud to have independently designed their own dinosaur and key ring.”
“The Year 7 class at Westminster Preparatory School had a fantastic time… Students had the opportunity to design and create their own 3D object. This was a great way for them to learn about the design process from both concept to production. We believe this technology has a place in student learning and fits in nicely with the Australian Curriculum and many levels of primary education.”
“As a school we need to ensure we provide as many broad opportunities as possible to promote and prepare our students to be life-long learners. Many of the jobs that exist today will be obsolete by the time our children enter the workforce. As a school we are excited by the creative and innovative opportunities the relationship with Makers Empire will bring through 3D design and printing.”
“…we looked extensively for a software program that was inclusive of all learning styles. The 3D design & printing app is brilliant in the way it allows students to start at a level that’s suited to previous learning and nurtures their journey forward. The developed lesson plans can be delivered explicitly to the class or used as individual tutorials and we feel confident in the notion that we are addressing the ACARA performance standards.”
“A roadmap to start 3D printing at our school.”
“The Makers Empire team came to run a session on 3D printing at our STEM day. It was the most popular session of the day and the students clearly had a fantastic time designing in 3D.”
“Makers Empire is friendly towards all ability groups and help engage students who are less motivated to be working in the classroom. It gives students the opportunity to be creative and learn by trial and error in a digital format. On paper some students get disheartened when drawing designs and have to erase mistakes and makes their work look messy. Using this program it is simple to remove mistakes. I think this has been a fantastic tool to have in the classroom. I have many teacher friends and have actually shown them the program and they are all very impressed.”
“This was the best PD that I have been involved in for ages… This whole project has been inspiring for teachers and students in empowering students to become change makers. Our students were so engaged and excited about solving a real world problem… The fact that they could see they could help someone through their own design, meant their learning was authentic and valued.”
“I think the lesson plans are fantastic for teachers – especially those who may find the hardest part being the inspiration/ideas on where to start…The Makers Empire app is a MASSIVE value add to the learning. We could have taught children how to design an iPad stand, learn what makes a structure strong, what are strong ‘shapes’, how to keep an item balanced etc etc etc – but the ability to create their design in 3D AND then print it makes the learning so much more obtainable and relevant/real.”
“Students developed a range of design skills..They learnt what the design process looked like, learnt how to create their designs in Shaper, learnt about scale when printing their designs. Students learnt to measure their objects as well as problem solved to make their design as similar on Makers Empire as their initial design… the students were so engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience…(Makers Empire) is a wonderful program that engages all students well!”
“I think it is great because it integrates so many curriculum areas that we have to do in a busy classroom. You have got your maths, science, you can do literacy, then you have also got your digital technology and design technology, and art as well… We are in an ever-changing world and we all have to keep up.”
“…wonderful day. I heard a few teachers talking about this being the best professional learning day they have done in their careers! Great job, we are planning to share with the Governing Council and run a parent information night to follow this up.”
‘I found Makers Empire to be incredibly user-friendly. In particular, it was very “school” friendly. There are very easy processes for children of all ages and literacy levels to log onto their accounts saving so much time and stress… the learning is in the process, not the product. You could very successfully use Makers Empire without ever actually printing anything (but it is a lot more fun and exciting when you can print it!)… All unit plans have direct links to the curriculum including the Digital Technologies curriculum. The deeper I delve into using Makers Empire the more opportunities I see for using maths in an authentic manner, particularly when using the Shaper app with measurements, shapes etc.”
“I have seen numerous benefits from our ‘Nature Play’ project and other 3D printing learning we have undertaken at Blakeview Primary School. During our 3D design lessons on the iPads using Makers Empire, the most significant benefit I have noticed has been the increase in student engagement. I have witnessed an increase in teamwork and positive interactions between students, which involved the sharing of learning and discoveries between groups. Students were able to work together to collaborate on projects and use each other’s varying strengths. They offered guidance and gave each other constructive feedback on what they liked about other designs and gave helpful suggestions for improvement, which promoted the persistence required to perfect their designs. Students also developed their spatial awareness through the ability to transfer and manipulate their 2D design plans and reproduce them into 3D design models… The success and accomplishment that was felt by solving a real-world problem with our ‘Nature Play’ project was incredible. The students that were involved feel a strong connection to the space and are proud of how their small idea and hopes turned into something real that could be enjoyed by the whole school and members of the community.”
“The kids just fly…The software makes it easy – if the software was more difficult it wouldn’t work as well. It’s at the right level for the reception students but it’s also not too easy for the upper primary kids. It’s a good start-off point… My class will go into another class — junior primary, middle primary or upper primary — and will partner one on one with the other students and help them learn how to use the software… My kids love helping the other students… Just to see the students faces light up during lessons is so good.”
“We’ve been using Makers Empire throughout the college and in Technology lessons for a while now, but this was the first time we used it in our classroom with our year 7s. The students thoroughly enjoyed the game-like structure of the program and were keen to work through levels to unlock parts for their designs… when we found the Global Design Program that Makers Empire ran, we were incredibly keen to connect with other schools… The learning that occurred from this project was invaluable and more than just curriculum based. Whilst the students learned about livability from researching and designing parts of a city that adhere to Mercers Quality of Living Factors, they learned about what living and cities are like in China from first-person conversations and experiences – a far deeper intercultural understanding than what they could possibly gain from textbooks and the internet.”
“I have to commend the recent update to Makers Empire. The precision mode is a great addition, particularly for our older students, who have been loving it already. It’s really nice to use a product that is built around kids and teachers and can evolve with their needs. Thank you for consistently taking and considering our feedback and improving your already great product. I had a class of Receptions and Year ones today. The Year ones were working in ME and the Receptions were chomping at the bit to get in too! We have been loving using the Toy Designer with our younger students, as the access level is just right for them to create unique 3D models from their own imagination, but scaffolded enough for them to easily learn the tools in a lesson. I’m very glad we are using Makers Empire.”
“I liked the way the site is geared toward easy use by teachers and the tutorials help the learner (teacher or student) to be independent and self-driven. The app was easy to download and create accounts in. The multiple entry points available in tasks also differentiates well for teacher. The program engages students with its game-like appearance and improves not only their creativity but critical thinking and collaboration skills. I like the option of having the designs printed off-campus due to time constraints but it is also valuable for students to see the printing process from start to finish. This is an excellent way to create and give back to the community in our Christmas Lights Program. More schools should try it!”
“I don’t think there was one child in the group that didn’t achieve something with it… Also, there was never a problem with them going back and doing something again. If this was a writing project and I asked them, ‘can you go back and redo this?’, the kids would groan. But, if we said, ‘I really like the way you did this but can you go back and try this?’, they would,”
“These are crazy times we’re now living in and our staff are feeling quite stressed and inundated about the current situation. The free resources you have provided will help to lighten the workload.”
“Makers Empire… (has) developed a range of learning resources for parents and teachers that you can use for free. Students and families can also download the Makers Empire app for free at home if your school doesn’t already have a subscription. Using the app encourages problem-solving, critical thinking, design-based thinking and develops spatial reasoning in children. It’s ideal for primary school-aged children. (I have used it with Reception to year 7). YOU DO NOT NEED A 3D PRINTER… It’s more about the thinking and design process – and having fun.”
“It has been great to have this subscription to deliver STEAM sessions virtually – without it I would not have been able to run my sessions at all. Thanks for sharing this resource.”
“Most students had minimal prior knowledge to 3D printing (so) all classes started with the ‘Introduction to 3D printing’ (found on the Makers Empire website). I then looked through the lesson library and found the Chocolate Moulds unit of work, which focuses on students learning about measuring volumes and capacity by designing and printing a chocolate mould. I slightly tweaked it as it needed to engage and cater to students from Reception to year 7, and I also wanted to build more empathy with students. So we decided to make chocolate moulds as a Christmas present for a family member. I really enjoyed seeing the variations of designs from students in reception to year 7.”
“This was the first school I had worked in which had an easy to use 3D printer set up with a designated computer attached to it. It was easy to log in to Makers Empire as a teacher and print the student’s designs directly rather than having to save files to USB’s or send from a classroom and run across to the printer etc. It’s great that 3D printers are becoming more affordable. All our colleagues and classes incorporate 3D printing into at least 1 of their Inquiry or digital tech studies so that the whole school are utilising the 3D printers rather than them collecting dust.”
“A simple 3D modelling program for the early years that is easy for students to use on the IPads.”
“Makers Empire is an interactive, ‘kid-friendly’, easy to use and intuitive CAD Package.”
“Very easy to navigate and use. User friendly.”
“The product itself combined with the resources and management environment makes it an all in one solution irrespective of your experience or resources.”
“Makers Empire is an age-appropriate platform for designing and 3D printing.”
“The ability to integrate Makers Empire into many curriculum areas is a huge benefit.”
“I would like to let you know that I am loving my experience with the app at many levels: students experience, teaching and assessing. This term I work with 10 classes so around 270 students. It was very easy to create classes and it is easy to track my students work.”
“Having a blast with it, thanks! (Makers Empire) is all the rage at school at the moment.”
“I honestly haven’t had this big a reaction from our team for any other type of technology I’ve introduced to the school. Getting teachers to step out of their comfort zones and try new tech has been a major struggle in my STEM role… The Makers Empire interest and conversations amongst staff and students have been spreading from there. The classes who got up and running early even had the benefit of being able to assign home learning tasks during the lockdown. One of the classes I helped set up today is our special needs class. I’m often told, “Our kids can’t do that,” so I can’t wait to hear the feedback from that group in particular. I cannot thank you enough for helping me move the needle with Makers Empire and STEM in general. I’m hopeful that it will help me to continue to gain interest from colleagues with other types of new learning technologies.”
“Learning the ins and outs of new technologies can be a daunting task that many teachers simply do not have time for. Thankfully, teachers don’t need to be experts to get the ball rolling with Makers Empire. A key strength is that so much learning is built right into the platform. Students progress through tutorials at their own pace, with written and spoken instructions there to guide them. My students think they’re just playing a computer game when they use Makers Empire, but from a teacher’s perspective, I see them developing vital spatial skills, persistence and confidence while experiencing how technology can enable them to become problem solvers of the future. Makers Empire has resulted in one of the smoothest introductions of new technologies at our school. It is accessible for a range of ages and abilities, it is a versatile tool that can be applied for many purposes and the Makers Empire team has been there to support us through whatever hurdle we’ve encountered along our journey.”
“My year 4 students are doing the Sustainable Communities challenge and loving it. My year 2s are doing the Water Challenge and loving it! Just wanted to pass on thanks from the team and I for your fabulous resources!”
“The Makers Empire – Andy Thomas Foundation Kids in Space Project was a comprehensive learning experience for both staff and students. Firstly building teachers’ knowledge with quality PD on space and Makers Empire enabled teachers to confidently teach the students. The students were highly engaged in the learning, empowered to problem solve and be creative to solve space issues whilst developing their skills on Makers Empire. The showcase event with other schools around the state was a highlight. I would highly recommend this project for schools to participate in.”
“Makers Empire provides so much more than a great app but resources and connections to curriculum, industry and innovation in our society.”
“The Kids in Space Makers Empire Project allowed our children to collaborate whilst working in teams. It encouraged them to test, problem solve, and retest and as a result built children’s resilience.”
“Participation in the project is a learning experience not to be missed. Your students will learn from you and you will learn from them. Collaboration, communication, creativity and problem-solving skills will be enhanced as you progress through the design thinking process with space in mind.”
“I have been delighted with the ongoing support that Luke and the Makers Empire team has provided to me and my site. Luke has been very responsive to my questions and queries and was successfully able to repair our printer. He kept me fully informed about the printer and the time line required to fix it… A wonderful engaging program, fantastic training, and outstanding ongoing support makes Makers Empire so successful!”
“The managed projects are good. The students have enjoyed being involved, loved being able to work independently and have gained a lot of knowledge. The have also created some great designs.”
“I nearly pulled out of the project because a student in my class had recently lost his home in a house fire. After speaking with his parents, I decided to go ahead and I’m so glad that I did. The Challenge Course and the videos were so sensitively and carefully put together that the student felt safe and comfortable with sharing his own experiences. I think being able to be creative and think of ways to help has been empowering for this student in particular as well as the other students in my class. This student now wants to be a firefighter!”
“Thank you all at Maker’s Empire for your support of our learning programs in STEM over the last seven years that we have been involved with Makers Empire. The opportunities that 3D printing brings are amazing and the confidence and inquisitiveness that it builds is awesome. You have a fabulous team, including your amazing techs. I have sought help numerous times from your tech team and they are without fault. I will continue to tell other teachers of the amazing product and team that Makers Empire is. Keep doing what you are doing, it is so important!”
“This is an exciting initiative which we foresee will enrich the learning experience of Scots boys. The usefulness of the 3D equipment to the students is evident as their visualisations become reality.”
“We are currently using Makers Empire with the whole of year 5 at the moment and have brought a second 3D printer to keep up!! The Learning Support Platform and its new design looks awesome, the functionality, navigation and amount of information available is excellent. Thanks!”
“Students have been learning about creating stories and developing characters. The students designed a character on their iPads, which were then printed using the latest 3D printing technology. Together with their buddies from Scotch (College), the students videoed their stories using their 3D characters and backdrops as settings. The narratives that took place between the students as they created their stories were very entertaining.”
“We are certainly excited to begin investigating the possibilities this will open up to our students in multiple areas of the curriculum. The Makers Empire app makes it easy for our students to begin designing and appraising their creations and then gives them immediate feedback with the end result being their very own 3D model.”
“…our staff were genuinely impressed… The Makers Empire 3D printing iPad app exceeded our expectations. The design and creative elements of this software have been carefully designed to engage children while opening up numerous educational opportunities and learning experiences. We loved the Teacher (Dashboard) with its support, ideas and integration of the Australian Curriculum. A great way to expose our students to this rapidly emerging technology that will have a significant impact on their lives.”
“Exploring 3D objects using the @MakersEmpire software. The students of 2/1N didn’t want to stop and kept asking when can we do it again!”
“The (3D printing) lesson plans are really good. While they’re designed around the Makers Empire software, they’re actually designed around the design cycle. This is important is that it’s actually saying to kids, here’s a design cycle that has these steps in it: you have a thought, you make a plan, you design it, you print it, you check it, and then you go back and you improve it. It’s driving kids to think about the design cycle.”
“Redlands has been using Makers Empire to support the students’ creative writing efforts. Students were asked to design a character or an object using the Makers Empire software. After this creative process, students had to justify the design attributes of their character or object in writing. Students became actively involved in the creative process which helped inform their writing process. Makers Empire is a great hook before a writing task.”
“Before I started with Makers Empire I had no idea how 3D printing worked. I avoided coding and anything to do with the DigiSpace… Definitely, do the PD (professional development) from Makers Empire. It was very clear and helped me put 3D printing into practice… I think it’s wonderful for someone who is a bit fearful… it really helped me develop confidence in it.”
“The kids love it and it is a pleasure to teach with. It is easy to use and all the extra activities do a great job at developing the skills necessary to design printable 3d models in a fun, game-like manner. My students continue their learning at home completing challenges and developing new skills. This is the true value of software. It can provide a platform for students who are enthusiastic to keep learning after the school bell rings… The addition of the Australian Curriculum aligned challenges is fantastic and really encourages the use of this software in state schools throughout Australia… Giving feedback to students and rewarding great work is very easy using the assessment tools. I use this feature a lot.”
I just had a play and I LOVE the changes you’ve made. It will make life much easier and more obvious and visible for the kids (and me too!).”
“What I really liked about Makers Empire was that it provided a comprehensive package, and one that can make sense to students from five to fifteen years of age… The real beauty of Makers Empire doesn’t lie in the printers or the software. In my opinion, where the company really shines – and the reason I was so eager to go through it – is in the wealth of curriculum-based lessons it provides, along with a host of lesson plans and a thriving community that contributes to the lesson bank. On top of this, the Makers Empire subscription allows teachers to set up classes and assess designs as they come in. Students have their own accounts (in our case, linked to their Google for Education accounts that we already set up), which are linked to their teacher’s. It is my intention for all students in our school (from Foundation to Year 6) to get the opportunity to use Makers Empire 3D. There are plenty of lessons for all year levels in the library to choose from, as well as ones provided by the community… Makers Empire 3D is not cheap. However, a lot of time and effort has gone into its creation, and I believe the price is well worth it. Not only is it a student-friendly piece of software, but it also contains a wealth of teaching and assessing tools for educators.”
“Thank you for your latest wonderful and thoughtful Social Distancing Challenges. I think they are just awesome!! I will most definitely be using them with my students when setting up online lessons at home.”
“Thank you for all the work you have put into the home learning space. We have a ‘student free’ week starting Monday (with the students of working parents in attendance). This will be a great opportunity to share with staff the online PD.”
“I am loving Makers Empire. It has been great and students have been able to do their remote learning with ease.”
“While it has been madness with the online/face-to-face teaching dramas, I wanted to give feedback on the COVID-19 at home learning tasks – they have been absolutely brilliant. I set a term of tasks, once a week scheduled on Seesaw for St Pats, Yr 2-6. Now that we are back at school I thought I would still use them this term. They have been a massive hit and that actually surprised me. The students DON’T like the massive pre-planning, ideating, etc etc, but just getting down and dirty on a direct task. Some have produced fantastic designs… I am writing to let you know how MASSIVELY successful this approach has been. Short, sharp, 40 min direct task. If you ever want to release some more tasks like this, please do. We are working through the list, once a week, in a 40 min session.”
“We fully support you guys doing what you can to support everyone who is connected to your company. In my opinion, you are doing a lot of good and pumping out some really great material and programs.”
“Students learnt about spatial awareness, measurement, shape and sharing… They like the creativity they have with the range of different shapes and objects at their disposal. They also like the Game Zone section where they can share their mazes to others… Creating tasks that were relevant to the student’s interests enhanced student engagement. Students even went home and would play mazes. Students were very focused on the task as they had activities that were interest-based… Incorporating Makers Empire into a reading session helped students who lacked confidence reading… Students also improved their ability to work as a team and showed a sense of pride in their work… Our students love using it and I will continue to (use) Makers Empire in all aspects of our learning,”
“When I first looked at this MakeShop project — metal jewellery — other projects were starting to eat into my curriculum time. So I couldn’t find time for it. That’s when I thought, how can we build this into something more while making it realistic for the students? How can I incorporate as many KLAs (Key Learning Areas) into it that I can?… This has been a really good learning opportunity for students – it had more opportunities than I even realised… Students that I had trouble engaging – they surprised me the most. Because it was non-traditional learning, they got up and jumped in… There was one student whose pendant’s design kept getting knocked back (as not being physically suitable for printing) and he was getting really frustrated. When he finally got it right, he said, ‘Mr Drain, thank you so much for pushing me – you have no idea how good I feel right now.'”
“I’m loving the assessment option in Makers Empire, especially the bulk assessment – it is so easy and useful and I can personalize it and make it personal or private. What a great feature!…. Also, big thanks to you and the team for the missions. I’ve been using them with the Year 5 and 6 classes and they have really enjoyed them and have enjoyed the chance to be really creative, especially with the Secret Package module.”
“The benefit of Maker’s Empire is that it provides learning experiences using 3D Printing to enable students to develop their understandings of Design and Digital Technologies across all areas of the School Curriculum.”
“A good way to get all students K-6 into understanding design, and the 3D platform in order to generate their design. Also the students like the idea of earning coin and purchasing elements for their hero. Students are very engaged. It promotes and consolidates mouse skills and mathematical concepts.”
“[Makers Empire] is an easy and accessible way to get teachers to use their 3D printers and help students, even the littlest ones to design for the 3D printer.”
“The ability to manage classes as a school. The fact that Makers Empire will print for you and provide support. They understand teachers. They have lesson plans and ‘how to’s’ included. An interface designed for students that is primarily student-friendly.”
“A supportive curriculum-aligned platform to support the learning of design thinking and 3D printing.”
“I think the students’ engagement via the ‘training’ systems sets them up to be skilled to develop solutions in other learning situations. They also love seeing their designs take physical form, in spite of the challenges in printing. It seems like [Makers Empire] have a good grasp of getting students interested.”
“Makers Empire is an engaging, easy to use and student-friendly tool that promotes design thinking and creativity amongst my students.”
“The biggest benefit of Makers Empire is the ability to set design tasks for the class and giving more children a chance to design and make.”
“I like that the students manipulate 3-D shapes. This will help them with geometry as they get older. It is a skill that was built by playing with actual objects when I was younger. Many kids are not playing in the same way and we are noticing a deficit in these skills.”
“WOW Mandi! I honestly can’t thank you enough for this. You continue to go above and beyond to help us and I appreciate it so much. I actually sent my Principal a message today letting him know this is probably my most favourite PD session I’ve been to. It is so well organised, resourced and structured. Thank you so much, Mandi!”
“I am using ME to create digital designs and lead into CAD for the upper grades… which means the students will be designing from scratch. Makers Empire establishes ways of working and terminology so the learning curve is not as steep.”
“This AR feature is wonderful. You guys never stop bringing new content in to keep kids engaged and keep the software fresh and I have to say I was hoping this feature would become available. It brings their models to life and AR is making its way into design and engineering in a big way so it is great for kids to use this tech in school. My students also realised new designs that could utilise the AR feature better like designing space ship cockpit that you could pretend to be in or even the interior of a house.”
Thanks to the Makers Empire team for creating such a wonderful two days for the teachers from our school and others in the region. We are looking forward to steaming ahead with the Makers Empire project and what it might bring to our classrooms for all students.
Hi Mandi, I just wanted to express my sincere thanks for all the lengths you and the Makers Empire teams went to, to run the pilot program and the PD sessions. I found the activities and sequence very engaging. Although I am now at a different school I found a lot I could incorporate into my current location. With all the setbacks we had in getting the PD sessions to happen I am so glad you persisted.
“I have a new role at the school this year and that is the STEAM specialist… I would love to have all the children using Makers Empire and printing in Semester 2 this year. Our Year 4 and 5 students loved the program last year and I am really excited to have all students using this space this year.”
“Just wanted to touch base and say thank you on behalf of Haden SS for the PD days. Skye has returned extremely satisfied with the experience and has commented on how useful the program will be in the future for her.”
“Makers Empire is a fantastic project that provides multiple benefits to students, teachers and schools. One of the most amazing things I saw was a non-verbal (by choice) student in year five, (being) involved in multiple, on-task conversations and actively involved in the problem-solving process. This student now says hello to me every day.”
“The most inspirational professional learning I have been part of.”
“The last two days have been fantastic. The program will be great for our school and was presented with care and excitement. Sharon and Luke helped me constantly with all questions and showed a genuine spirit for their work.”
“I have used other 3D design software with students but I can see Makers empire has some really good tools, such as students being able to view work done by other classmates and it checks models for potential printing problems.”
“This app has truly opened up a world of opportunities for the kids. They’re using it not only in technologies and science but also exploring literacy and art. Even if something doesn’t make it to the printer, I’m thrilled that they’re creating in 3D and sharing their designs as images. The parents have been amazed by their creativity! Thanks heaps.”
“I have found Luke to be an absolute asset. I’ve needed to contact him more than I’d care to admit and he’s always very prompt in his response. If he can’t help me sort an issue over the phone, he books me for onsite support, often fitting me in the very next day. I would strongly recommend Makers Empire for any school, particularly those wanting to dip their toe in the 3D printing waters.”
“I was a complete newbie with 3D printing, and have had a few issues with my printer – most as it turns out caused by me! The staff at Makers Empire have been exceptionally helpful, understanding and efficient. They have repaired my printer on a few occasions without any hassles or judgement. They have taught me how to troubleshoot, and following their videos I have become quite proficient at fixing minor problems with the extruder. Makers Empire staff fixed issues that I didn’t even realise that the printer had e.g. they replaced a broken clip on the cover – they printed and attached a new clip. Their service was friendly, efficient, economical and effective.”
“The Kids in Space competition run by Makers Empire was a tremendous success, enjoyed by both teachers and students alike. The challenge was well-received by the students, who relished the opportunity to work with 3D printers and were highly motivated to learn more. Their collaboration and social skills improved as they worked with new peers and took ownership of their projects. Teachers appreciated the chance to see their students thrive in different environments, observing their development of new skills and ideas. The competition also upskilled teachers, who are now transferring these new skills into their classrooms. The support and expertise provided by Makers Empire were invaluable, with their helpfulness ensuring the smooth running of the competition. The fun showcase event provided a great opportunity for both teachers and students to meet new people, share ideas, and reflect on their experiences. The emphasis on the design process over the end product made the competition accessible to all, ensuring that everyone could participate and benefit. Overall, the event fostered a positive and enriching experience for all involved.”
“I came in knowing nothing, left with ideas and knowledge overflowing! Not only learning about how to use Makers Empire to design and then print 3D models but also the whole thinking and making process is invaluable. Add our school priorities and this is an amazing program!”
“These students have been learning about creating stories and developing characters. The students designed a character on their iPads, which were then printed using the latest 3D printing technology. Together with their buddies from Scotch, the students videoed their stories using their 3D characters and backdrops as settings. The narratives that took place between the students as they created their stories were very entertaining. It allowed the students to share ideas, develop vocabulary and use their imagination. Following on from this visit, the students will each work on writing their own stories.”
“First, can I say how very much I, and my students, have loved using Makers Empire – it’s THE best program I have ever used! I loved your lesson plans, the continuous new ideas and innovations to the program but, most of all, your absolutely marvellous support. Every (silly) question or problem has always been sorted quickly and without me feeling embarrassed for having asked in the first place. I really, really am going to miss the excitement on the kids’ faces when their design works and gets printed for them to take home. So a huge THANK YOU to everyone!”
“I think I grew and learned as much (if not more) from the experience as the students. Our whole school community has engaged with the project and we’re excited to build on it going forward. The professional support from Makers Empire has been
outstanding and never felt intimidating which is quite a feat considering how many new skills, understandings, ways of working, and topics we were engaging with.”
“It was great to see students collaborating, socialising and working together to produce creative designs while also improving their critical thinking skills and spatial awareness. The project was really beneficial for the students’ holistic understanding of the design process, and learning how to break the process down into manageable steps to make the project more achievable. I was delighted to watch my students learn and develop their STEM skills over the two terms, and I was incredibly proud to see all of the students from Jackson School win a prize of a brand-new 3D printer.”
Thank you so much for your assistance and support, you and the team from Makers Empire have been wonderful throughout this whole experience for the students and we are all truly blessed to have had this opportunity to work with your organisation. Your communication, your drive and your commitment to seeing students exposed to new and wonderful ways of learning is outstanding and I look forward to an opportunity to work with you all again in the future.”
“Thanks again for this amazing project that we could be involved in. The kids learnt so much and thoroughly enjoyed the showcase on Tuesday. Thank you for all your hard work in organising it and for the treats we all received. We will definitely be doing so much more with makers empire. I have so many ideas from the other schools at the showcase so we are excited to implement these next year.”
“The best part of this project was the professional development. I have been to a lot in my time, but I have never experienced such a wide variety of teaching strategies and activities that engaged everyone. From our teacher heart to yours… thank you 😊 We also loved connecting with all the other schools around the Gold Coast and hope to reconnect in the new year.”
Thank you so much Leading the Additive Manufacturing Project in South-East Queensland in 2021… It has been a privilege to be part of the Project and the Staff and Students at Numinbah Valley State School have learned so much about design using 3D shapes and blocks, problem-solving, teamwork and resilience. Living in a small rural area, our students have limited knowledge of the technological advances in manufacturing in recent years. However, they are now both aware of new technologies, particularly 3D print technology, and inspired to engage with Design Technologies in High School and beyond. In 2022 I plan to continue to use Maker’s Empire software to engage the students in Years 1-3 and will encourage students who were in the project this year in Years 4 and 5, to act as mentors.”
“Makers Empire is a wonderful initial tool in the 3D modelling learning process. It allows students to develop 3D design skills, make mistakes, and innovate in a safe environment. Individual creations include jewellery (earrings and rings), Taj Mahal, dream bed, funny characters, bookmarks, mazes, key chains, etc… Students are also using it before and after school, and many are now emailing 3D files created through Makers Empire from home.”
“My Year 3/4 extension class are really enjoying the opportunities that Makers Empire provide. We are still finishing the Climate Change Project as students are presenting their knowledge in creative ways.. I have assigned the Managed Project – Finding Your Way and will introduce this next week. I have also created another class for some Year 2’s to begin Strong Structures as I did this last year and it was such a success. Students enjoyed the program and also had to create their own structures practically.”
“In 2024, I was lucky enough to have our school selected into this fantastic (advanced manufacturing) program and I cannot recommend it more. Having never used a 3D printer before the start of this program, I can now say that I am extremely confident in my abilities. I felt support by #makersempire and found that the program was well run and the PD was both engaging and relevant.”
“Highly recommend! Our college was a lucky recipient last year and then went on to win the showcase 
the training for the teachers and resources supplied are outstanding! Thank you Makers Empires for such an opportunity for our Engineering Excellence Students!”
“The 2 days of the Kids in Space have not only been informative but also incredibly practical and useful It has allowed me to understand the abilities of technology enhancing our STEAM program in an inclusive way. All the information (and the way its presented) was easy to understand (even for a novice.) This program would benefit so many students and schools.”
“Excellent! So refreshing to leave a PD session with skills I can actually use. Thank you.”
“A wonderful opportunity to further ourselves as educators. I feel much more prepared to deliver engaging and authentic STEM opportunities. Makers Empire is already a hit at our school.”
“Such an enjoyable, engaging and interactive professional learning! Our kids are going to love this program and challenge and we can’t wait to embark on this journey!”
“Very well-structured program. Concise, helpful staff who gave us plenty of time to absorb material and learn. I love that it’s curriculum aligned. The make pedagogy is useful to apply to any STEM/STEAM project. I can’t wait to explore this with my students.”
“6 White has been working hard on their “Kids in Space” projects over the last few weeks… They have decided that the best way to build a habitat on the moon is to use a team of Rovers who are able to utilize the raw materials already found on the moon and 3D print a habitat. To do this they have followed the process of Empathise (who needs our help), Define (what is the problem exactly), Ideate (how many ideas can we come up with to solve the problem?), and right now they are up to the prototype stage (then there is the test and Review stages to go). Prototyping involves the students working in teams with the Makers Empire software to design a 3D model of a moon rover with a specialized job in our newly established 3D design zone in the middle school STEM lab.”
“This was the most interactive and knowledgeable PL. I was absolutely blown away by everything we were taught. Giving us time to explore Makers Empire was very beneficial.”
“Thanks for a well-oranised, inspiring program. There was a great mix of group work, pedagogy, Science professionals and self-exploration. I’m leaving feeling equipped and enthusiastic about how to structure design thinking opportunities for my students. What an imaginative, well resourced program.”
“Thank you so much for an insightful, informative and inspiring two days. Makers Empire offers an enormous scope for creativity, learning to learn, hard fun and an invaluable opportunity for students to broaden their understanding of Space and Earth.”
“I loved seeing the ‘out of the box thinking’ by our students & how they worked together to find solutions to their problems. This was the first time that our school had been involved in this project, so it was a wonderfully exciting and uncharted experience. In hosting the showcase – I loved seeing how beautifully our students represented Essington. I could not have been prouder of their engagement in the project, both throughout the term and at the showcase.”
“The project was such a great experience for my students. They loved being able to create anything they wanted and the social aspect in Makers Empire is great. The showcase day was a great opportunity to see other school’s projects and designs and the confidence students showed when discussing their projects.”
“The years 3 and 4 students investigated simple machines including levers, gears, wedges and pulleys. They used the Makers Empire 3D app to create these simple machines. The year 6 students explored a project called ‘Get in the Game’ as part of their inquiry into games. They used Makers Empire Design software to create their own game piece or characters. The third project involved students in designing and 3D printing items for a Makers Market. These designs included earrings, key rings and small figurines. Future plans are for the students to focus on problem solving around real-world applications. Teachers felt that the gaming elements of the software were very popular, and students enjoyed earning badges and sharing their designs. Students were encouraged to design, create, make mistakes and test ideas.”
“The project was such a great experience for my students. They loved being able to create anything they wanted and the social aspect in Makers Empire is great. The showcase day was a great opportunity to see other school’s projects and designs and the confidence students showed when discussing their projects.”
“I have found Makers Empire to be highly engaging for all students. The gamification of learning has the students focused on the different achievements along the way and things they can purchase with their coins too. The interface is really straightforward to use for kids and adults alike. Makers Empire is well worth the consideration for any classroom.”
“I just wanted to let you know that Makers is up and running and the girls have come up with some wonderful ideas. I had them complete a design brief, first outlining something they’d like to design, create, manipulate etc. To help them do this I had them think of something that annoys them, they love, helps them, could potentially make life easier etc.”
‘I would like to send my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to you and the team involved in the Kids in Space showcase in Adelaide. I appreciate the enormous amount of time, organisation and co-ordination that was required to stage such a successful event. The opportunity to be involved provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, and one I’m sure they will never forget. To be able to meet and interact with students from all states and territories, as well as the representatives from the space industry, was amazing and we learnt so much from them.”
“The first day of PD created a sense of excitement amongst STEM teachers – we were buzzing with possibilities! The opportunity to work with Mandi from Makers Empire enabled the teachers to develop a greater understanding around the Design Thinking process and the endless potential of the Makers Empire program… After the PD day, the teachers had some great ideas. They then did some curriculum mapping to make sure it tied in with other subjects, and was a more holistic approach.”
“(We’re) excited to be using the new 11 3D printers we have installed in a special hub at our school. I am now working with (fellow teacher) Luke Drain to roll out a plan for the school and ensure the process for every student (all 1700 of them!) to have access to 3D printing and ensure Design Thinking projects are embedded in teaching programs across K-6. I suggested to Luke we set up a Google Form for students to submit their thoughts and reflection of their designs based on the process before we press print so they are ensuring they are dedicating time to actually thinking through the process and not rushing to print… Once again, thank you and I will definitely stay in touch with you all! I couldn’t love Makers (Empire) more!”
SPECIAL OFFER FOR SASLA conference ATTENDEES
- Easy to use 3D modeling software
- Teacher’s Dashboard for easy class management
- 130+ lesson plans aligned to the Australian Curriculum, American Common Core standards, ISTE standards for educators and Next Generation Science standards
- Professional development for teachers
- Ongoing support
- Optional 3D printer packages
