How Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School Uses 3D Printers in Schools to Drive STEAM
Last Updated: April 26, 2026
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At Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, STEAM education starts with a question: who needs help? Students partner with schools for children with special needs, design real solutions using 3D printers in schools, and build skills they carry for life. Here is how one programme turned a makerspace into a force for good.
Making a Difference at Ma’ayanot
Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls sits in Teaneck, New Jersey. Its STEAM programme is led by Reyce Krause, Director of STEAM Curriculum and Makerspace Lead, alongside Gila Stein, STEAM Department Chair. Together they built “Making a Difference at Ma’ayanot,” a programme connecting students with schools for children with special needs and visual impairments.
Students do not start with a preset project. They meet therapists. They meet the children. They learn about individual needs. From there, they define a problem and design a solution using 3D printing, electronics, coding, and iterative design.
Krause describes the outreach: “We reached out and said, ‘We have students that know how to 3D print, know how to code… can we come meet your children and build something for them?’”
The response changed how students showed up: “A funny thing happens when you give students an assignment and tell them, ‘We need you… we need you to make something for a child.’ They puff up and become proficient… they want to learn more because they realise they can make a difference in [a] child’s life.”
A Makerspace Built Around 3D Printers in Schools
The makerspace at Ma’ayanot runs on MakerBot Sketch Sprint printers. The machines print throughout the school day, and students track their projects between classes.
Krause describes the pace: “We have a slew of printers because these printers are running all the time… when we start running projects, the girls are constantly coming in between classes asking, ‘Is it done yet? Is it finished yet?’”
For school leaders weighing up 3D printers in schools, the makerspace model at Ma’ayanot shows what daily use looks like. Students do not visit once for a single lesson. They return again and again to iterate, refine, and improve their work. The open layout invites exploration and collaboration, and the printers are tools they reach for on their own.
Australian schools running similar programmes with the MakerBot Sketch Sprint report the same pattern. For examples of classroom 3D printing in action, see how the Si Se Puede Foundation built a STEM centre around MakerBot printers, or how 6th graders designed Mars rovers as part of a classroom spotlight project.
Designing for Lily
One project captures the programme’s approach. Students partnered with therapists and educators to design an interactive toy for Lily, a child with visual impairments.
The design process was shaped by Lily’s needs. Students chose a black base with white and yellow elements so the lighter colours would stand out for her. Inside the 3D printed enclosure, they wired an Arduino microcontroller, speaker, power source, and switches to create a toy tailored to one child.
Every decision came from conversations with the professionals and the child herself. Materials, colours, sounds, and interactions were all shaped by what Lily needed, not what the students assumed.
One teacher connected 3D printing to the broader arts curriculum: “3D printing is so relevant in the arts because it is the introduction of a completely new medium. We have experience with how it works from clay, from papier-mache. We’re building something with our hands. Now, we’re building it on a computer.”
From Consumers to Creators
Stein frames the goal clearly: “Students in general are technology consumers… and we want them to be technology innovators.”
Through programmes like Making a Difference, students shift from following instructions to leading design. They learn empathy, iterative thinking, and technical problem-solving at the same time.
One student put it simply: “Anything’s possible. Now my ideas aren’t just inside of me… they can become real.”
For Australian schools exploring 3D printing STEAM programmes, Ma’ayanot’s model offers a clear path: give students a real problem, real tools, and real people to design for. The learning follows.
Frequently Asked Questions: 3D Printers in Schools
How are 3D printers used in school STEAM programmes?
3D printers in schools support project-based learning across science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths. Students design solutions in CAD software, print physical prototypes, test them, and iterate. Schools like Ma’ayanot pair 3D printing with electronics and coding to create hands-on projects with real-world impact.
What 3D printer is best for a school makerspace?
The MakerBot Sketch Sprint is designed for classroom use. It features an enclosed build chamber for safety, a flexible build plate for easy part removal, and a touchscreen interface students learn in minutes. For schools running multiple printers, the MakerBot Cloud platform manages print queues across devices from any browser.
How does 3D printing support human-centred design in education?
Human-centred design starts with understanding the end user. In a school setting, students interview real people, identify needs, and design solutions using 3D printing to prototype and test. This process teaches empathy alongside technical skills. Ma’ayanot’s Making a Difference programme is one example, where students design for children with special needs.
Want to bring 3D printers into your school’s STEAM programme? View the MakerBot Sketch Sprint or request a quote to discuss your setup. Browse the full MakerBot range.
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