Tinkerine Studios Limited, one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of 3D printers in Canada, has announced the launch of Tinkerine U, an educational initiative to bring 3D printing curriculum to every school in North America.

The Tinkerine U is a comprehensive 3D Printing educational platform for educators and learners. The platform aims at delivering highly targeted and unique online 3D printing focused educational content with a detailed curriculum aimed at introduce students to designing, prototyping, and manufacturing using 3D printing technology. It includes online courses, lesson plans, an educational 3D model library, and extracurricular content for students, and community engagement.

The program is developed in partnership with Ready Labs Inc, an Ed Tech content provider and technology company. The curriculum will be available in Canada, select US school districts, and then internationally.

Kevin Brandt, the Managing Director of this venture said, “We know that 3D printing in the classroom is the centerpiece to a comprehensive active learning approach, where students learn the problem solving skills to become the leaders of the future.” The CEO of Tinkerine, Eugene Suyu said, “We are very excited about the appointment of Kevin to the role of Managing Director of Tinkerine U. He brings more than 20 years of experience as a proven educator, administrator of one of the largest and most progressive public online schools, and most recently the Director of Instruction of one the largest school districts in Canada.”

This is the first major company that plans to focus on the academic segment and sell 3D printers through the creation of educational materials. Initiatives like these will definitely help more and more people to get closer to 3D printing.

Image Credit: Phil Manker (flickrhandle: philmanker)