How we can tackle the global education crisis with 3D printing
[Applause]
if i had not been adopted
my life could have turned out a whole
lot differently
in that life i’d be working grueling
hours in a factory
making less than three dollars a day
maybe i wouldn’t even be here
that’s something i do not take for
granted
fast forward 14 years i’m in my dad’s
office discussing the future of
technology
i remember thinking about the need for
schools around the world
and asking what if we 3d printed them
the problem the world faces is that over
290 million students
are not in school they do not have
access to the same opportunities
and the need for education
infrastructure still remains
especially in developing countries where
the funding is not available
many of these students will not finish
school due to travel distance
overcrowding and being pushed further
into poverty
we have the technology and the resources
to solve this
by leveraging 3d printing for good we
can build a brighter future
3d printing is a piece in the puzzle to
solving the global education crisis
now you may be wondering why 3d printed
schools
let me first begin by addressing some
frequent assumptions
no the schools are not made of plastic
concrete is extruded layer by layer to
build the walls
and rather than desktop size our printer
is architectural scale
3d printing is the future of
construction
first it decreases construction time
from months to days
often students will walk miles to go to
school and even then
the school may be overcrowded 3d printed
schools
allow us to address this need second
it reduces our carbon footprint concrete
production
is one of the largest polluters in the
world our concrete mixture will emit
less co2
lastly it limits waste production 3d
printing can reduce waste by up to 50
percent
this ensures unnecessary waste creation
while a traditional school may take
months or years to build
a 3d printer can build a school in a
matter of days
this allows us to build more schools in
less time
imagine printing 12 schools in the time
it would take to build one
once our printer is on location the
walls are built from the ground up
concrete is extruded layer by layer in a
honeycomb process
though the walls are hollow 3d printed
schools are structurally sound
waste is cut in half but while integrity
almost doubles due to modified concrete
once the walls cure the rough doors and
other materials can be easily attached
solar panels and a rainwater harvesting
system can then be added to the rough
after this the school is ready for
students
i’m the founder of thinking huts a
nonprofit that seeks to increase access
to education
with innovative solutions our pilot will
be a hybrid design
of 3d printed concrete walls and locally
sourced materials
inspired by a beehive configuration our
modular design can grow to accommodate
additional students with off-grid solar
panels and a vertical garden
our schools will be sustainable even in
the most remote areas
scalable and adaptive we can work
alongside communities to teach 3d
printing processes this ensures that the
concept can be replicated
from madagascar to pakistan zimbabwe to
india
there’s a huge potential for technology
transfer
an opportunity exists for us to empower
communities
and catalyze innovation by building 3d
printed schools
we can ensure every student has a safe
place to learn
3d printing provides a solution that is
not only faster
but lowers costs with economies of scale
we’re on the brink of unlocking human
potential
we have an opportunity to lift up rather
than leave behind
a glance at the news will show that
innovation is typically reserved
for revenue driven business what if we
championed innovation to unleash
untapped potential 3d printed schools
allow us to do that
we can envision a world that places
people before profit
a world that champions education and
innovative solutions
a world filled with global citizens that
care about one another
that’s the world i hope to one day raise
children in
we should equip the next generation with
the skills to surpass us
only together will we accomplish such a
feat and it begins with access to
education
education is at the root of solving many
problems the world faces today
ranging from health epidemics to
eradicating poverty
we must take action before it’s too late
we need to create tangible solutions
that encourage innovation
and we will but we need more people like
my dad to say
i believe in you we need to leverage 3d
printing to create social impact
my greatest hope is that this new year
brings about more opportunities for us
to envision our world as it could be
because it all begins with a vision
thank you