Manufacturing in the classroom: sustainability and the circular economy
Year Awarded
2021
Amount
€23,958
- Organisation:University College Dublin (UCD)
- Audience:Post Primary Teachers - Junior Cycle, Post Primary Teachers - Senior Cycle
- Format:Non-formal Education
- Location:national
- Topic:Engineering
Project Summary
Following two Discover projects aimed at upskilling teachers in manufacturing technology, we aim to deepen our engagement with Technologies teachers across Ireland, to further embed manufacturing into the classroom, and to expand our engagement to teachers in other subjects, including Art and Home Economics.
This project will build on an existing partnership between I-Form, the Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing; 3DWIT, an additive manufacturing training specialist; and Junior Cycle for Teachers – Technologies (JCt4) – a national teacher training organisation run by Ireland’s Department of Education.
In partnership with JCt4, we have already co-created and delivered one CPD (continuing professional development) elective training module in spring 2021. This 3D printing module was undertaken by 123 teachers across Ireland, including 25 DEIS schools (DEIS = a marker of socioeconomic disadvantage). A second module is due for delivery in autumn/winter 2021.
Building on this, we plan to run an elective training module in 2022 for 140 teachers nationwide that takes a deep dive into the science behind 3D printing, with close examination of materials processing. We will draw out the environmental implications behind printing, exploring sustainability in manufacturing and the circular economy. New frontiers in manufacturing will be explored, such as bioprinting and food printing. We will also provide engaging careers content and strong links to researchers to support the project.
In parallel, we will invite our Technologies teachers to team up with other subject teachers within their schools, to broaden our reach and connect STEM to other subject areas.