How Calcasieu Parish Deployed 400 3D Printers Across 55 Schools

When Calcasieu Parish School Board in Louisiana put 400 MakerBot Sketch 3D printers into more than 55 schools, it became one of the largest 3D printing in schools programmes in the United States. The project reached 25,000 students, 2,500 teachers, and every grade level. MakerBot reports it as a standout case in classroom 3D printing at scale.

Equal Access to 3D Printing in Schools Across a Whole District

Superintendent Shannon LaFargue knew five to six years before the rollout began his district needed a digital shift. The goal was not to add another gadget. It was to build design thinking into daily learning.

"It's not just making something with a 3D printer. That's an outcome. It's what goes into that. The thought process, the critical thinking, the design thinking, the outside-of-the-box thinking. It's all of that," LaFargue said.

The district needed one tool for every grade, every subject, and every school. It also had to be low-cost enough to deploy at scale and simple enough for any teacher to use after short training.

Why the District Chose the MakerBot Sketch

Kim Leblanc, Chief Technology Officer at Calcasieu Parish School Board, led the process.

"We wanted a tool that could impact classrooms across grade levels and curriculum, driving students to design, create, think, and problem-solve. 3D printing emerged as the ideal choice," Leblanc explained.

"We chose the MakerBot Sketch for its versatility, quiet operation, and suitability for small classrooms. We were already familiar with MakerBot, their support, and their troubleshooting capabilities. MakerBot's extended warranties, on-site support, and consistent follow-ups met our expectations for a large-scale rollout."

The district bought 200 MakerBot Sketch Classroom sets, giving them 400 printers. Title I and Title IV federal funds paid for the purchase in Spring 2022. John Spikes, the Federal Programs Director, said equity drove the funding call.

"We wanted to ensure equal opportunities for all students, leading us to implement the program on a large system-wide basis. This approach also guarantees professional development for teachers and access to high quality education for our students."

For Australian schools looking at a 3D printer for schools purchase, the MakerBot Sketch and MakerBot Sketch Classroom Bundle offer the same features: quiet operation, enclosed build chamber, and cloud-based print management.

Printers in Every Classroom, Not a Shared Lab

One key choice made this rollout work. The district placed 3D printers in schools directly inside classrooms, not in a shared lab.

"We wanted the printer to become an integral part of the classroom culture and learning experience. This approach ensures accessibility across curriculums and eliminates barriers, making it a seamless part of the students' educational journey," Leblanc said.

Taylor Marcantel, a Special Needs teacher at DeQuincy Elementary School, saw the results in her own room.

"Having the printer in my classroom has really helped my kids take responsibility for their own learning because it's something tangible that they could bring home with them. Something that they can go home and say, hey mom, look what I did."

With no booking system or shared queue, students used the printers every day. 3D printing education became part of the rhythm of the school day, not a once-a-week event.

How They Trained 400 Teachers

Rolling out 400 printers meant training 400 teachers. Pam Nicholson designed the programme.

"We knew 3D printing training could be a combination of face-to-face training and some webinars," Nicholson explains.

In-person sessions covered printer setup and daily operation. Teachers walked out ready to run their machines alone. Webinars went deeper into design thinking: how to learn from errors, how to guide students through each step, and how to link projects to their existing lesson plans.

The team built task cards for each project. These tied print activities to grade-level standards so teachers did not have to start from scratch. A Microsoft Teams channel gave staff ongoing access to help and peer tips. On-site trainers filled the gap between online support and hands-on classroom use.

Leblanc noted the wider effect: "Teachers have been pushed into new development, using tools like Tinkercad, and facilitating activities for students." The support structure kept classroom 3D printing going well beyond the first term.

What Comes Next

LaFargue sees the programme growing. The district plans to extend 3D printing in schools to older grades and keep raising the bar as students move up.

"Those skill sets that 3D printers provide are the very thing that industry wants from us," LaFargue said. "That's why we call our type of education, a world class education."

His vision goes beyond the district. 3D printing education at this scale builds skills students carry into university and the workforce. The design thinking they pick up in primary school stays with them.

"If you're talking about global citizenship, global competition, you have to have design thinking embedded in how you approach whatever it is that you're going to do. Because if you do, you will have a competitive advantage. We want our kids to have a global competitive advantage."

For Australian schools weighing up a similar move, the Calcasieu case shows the payoff of district-wide commitment to 3D printers in schools. See how other schools are using them in our Mars Rover classroom spotlight and Si Se Puede Foundation STEM programme.

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Common Questions About This Case Study

How many 3D printers did Calcasieu Parish deploy?

Calcasieu Parish School Board deployed 400 MakerBot Sketch 3D printers across more than 55 schools. They bought 200 MakerBot Sketch Classroom sets, each with two printers.

Which 3D printer did the district choose?

They chose the MakerBot Sketch for its quiet operation, enclosed build chamber, and fit for small classrooms. MakerBot's extended warranties, on-site support, and cloud print tools also helped.

How was the programme funded?

Title I and Title IV federal funds paid for the 400-printer rollout. The district's Federal Programs Director said equal access for all students was the main driver.

How were teachers trained?

Face-to-face sessions covered printer setup. Webinars covered design thinking and how to tie projects to the curriculum. Task cards, a Microsoft Teams channel, and on-site trainers gave staff ongoing support.

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Want to set up 3D printing in your school? View the full MakerBot range here.

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3D Printer 3D Printers Case Study Classroom Education MakerBot MakerBot Sketch STEM