How Si Se Puede Foundation Uses 3D Printing to Close the STEM Gap
Last Updated: April 26, 2026
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Over 19 schools and more than 50 student robotics team members use the Si Se Puede Foundation STEM centre in Chandler, Arizona. The access costs them nothing. Founded over 23 years ago in a region where technology access is unevenly distributed, Si Se Puede provides a free 3d printer for schools and students who would otherwise have none. At the centre of its facility is a dedicated 3D printing room, running MakerBot Sketch printers that students use to design, prototype, and build real competition robot parts.
The foundation serves students from underrepresented communities who have limited access to technology. Schools use the equipment at no charge. A dozen additional teams of approximately 10 students each also use the facilities, supported by more than 20 volunteer mentors from industry and Arizona State University.
From Robotics Coach to STEM Centre Founder
Faridodin (Fredi) Lajvardi, President and CEO of Si Se Puede, started using MakerBot in 2013. He was coaching the Falcon Robotics team at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, Arizona. The team was building autonomous underwater vehicles. They outsourced parts to external suppliers. That process was slow and expensive.
When MakerBot printers arrived, the team moved production in-house. Students printed parts themselves, cut the time from concept to test, and picked up direct hands-on experience in design and fabrication. That experience is what led Lajvardi to build Si Se Puede's STEM centre.
"One of the reasons we continue to use MakerBot is because of the reliability and costs," said Lajvardi. "You can try to go out there and find a very sophisticated industry standard printer and that would be great, but you can't get more than one. So, you can't have a lot of projects going on. MakerBot gives us the perfect platform for students to learn the concepts of 3D printing, and the products that come out of it are more than adequate for all the uses that we're doing. Out of all the MakerBot printers I've used so far, by far the most reliable and the easiest to use is the MakerBot Sketch."
What the 3D Printing Centre Looks Like in Practice
The Si Se Puede STEM centre is not a single-purpose lab. It runs woodworking machines, CNC mills, CNC routers, laser cutters, band saws, and manual lathes. The 3D printing room sits alongside all of it. Everything is available at no charge.
The 3D printing room runs five MakerBot Sketch Standard printers, two MakerBot Sketch Large printers, one Method X, and a Replicator Z18. Students from over 19 schools use the centre for robotics builds. About 50 members compete on active teams. More than 20 mentors from industry and Arizona State University volunteer to support them.
As a 3d printer for schools resource, the centre offers something most school budgets cannot. Students access professional-grade equipment to design and print prototype parts for competition robots. The school does not need to fund or maintain the hardware.
Daniel Frank, assistant teaching professor at Arizona State University and mentor at the centre, described how quickly students with no experience get started.
"MakerBot Sketch is very user-friendly, so it's great for people who are just learning about the technology. I can bring in a student that has little to no 3D printing experience and, through some guidance, we can set up the printer in 15-20 minutes and have our first part printing."
Students use the centre to compete in the FIRST Robotics Challenge for high school students and the FIRST Tech Challenge for middle and high school students. The 3D printing room produces the parts that go into their competition robots.
Design Thinking, Iteration, and the Confidence to Fail
The most important outcome at Si Se Puede is not the parts students print. It is what they learn about the design process.
"The iterative process makes it possible to continue to achieve the ultimate performance that kids are trying to achieve. Every prototype is analysed for its success or failures," said Lajvardi.
Students who arrive with no equipment experience often feel unsure. Frank has found the hesitation turns to confidence fast.
"Initially there's a little bit of intimidation because the machines are new to them. But once the students have the opportunity to work with these machines, they're excited and have a lot more confidence," said Frank. "One of the really great things about 3D printing is that it kind of takes some of the trepidation of, 'if I make it, I might fail, and it's going to take time to recover from that or waste a lot of money.' With 3D printing, it's okay to fail."
Student Mason Lobsack, who trained at the centre, reflected on what he took away: "The skills that I've learned here I hope to use throughout the rest of school, higher education and my career in the future because you can apply those to almost anything in life."
The foundation is expanding this through MakerBot Certification, the only ISTE-certified 3D printer training programme. It plans to run courses for both teachers and students. Lajvardi sees teacher certification as essential for any 3d printer for schools programme to succeed.
"It's very important for us to certify teachers because if you just get a printer without having any certification, you don't learn the little tricks and things that you need to know about how to make the printer work perfectly. MakerBot Certification gives the teachers all the tools they need to use the machine effectively," said Lajvardi. "For example, I learned that there's a way that you can clean a jammed extruder using a needle to push through material that's not fully melted. Because of that, I'm the only one at the centre that knows how to fix the machines. That's a perfect example of why the certification process is important."
His goal is for every certified teacher to go home with a printer for their own classroom. Australian schools exploring 3d printing for education programmes have access to the full MakerBot Sketch range and MakerBot Certification through Australian 3D Printers. Contact us to discuss the right fit for your school.
For more classroom examples, see how 6th grade students used 3D printing to design Mars rovers in our classroom spotlight series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What 3D printers does Si Se Puede Foundation use?
The Si Se Puede Foundation 3D printing centre runs five MakerBot Sketch Standard printers, two MakerBot Sketch Large printers, one Method X, and a Replicator Z18. Students from over 19 schools use them for robotics builds, design prototyping, and hands-on STEM learning.
How does 3D printing support STEM education for underserved students?
A 3d printer for schools removes the gap between a design idea and a physical object. At Si Se Puede, students print real components for competition robots. The process teaches design thinking, tolerance for failure, and engineering curiosity in ways that classroom theory alone cannot provide.
What is MakerBot Certification and who is it for?
MakerBot Certification is the only ISTE-certified 3D printer training programme. It offers a curriculum creation pathway for educators and design thinking courses for students. Si Se Puede Foundation plans to run MakerBot Certification courses at its STEM centre so teachers and students earn formal credentials.
How long does it take a student with no experience to start 3D printing with MakerBot Sketch?
According to Daniel Frank, assistant teaching professor at Arizona State University and mentor at Si Se Puede, a student with little to no 3D printing experience can set up a MakerBot Sketch printer and have their first part printing within 15 to 20 minutes.
What robotics competitions do Si Se Puede students compete in?
Si Se Puede Foundation hosts student teams competing in the FIRST Robotics Challenge for high school students and the FIRST Tech Challenge for middle and high school students. Students use the STEM centre's 3D printing room to design and print robot components throughout the competition season.
Want to view our range of MakerBot 3D printers? Click here.
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