UltiMaker launches MakerBot Scholarship

In partnership with the SME Education Foundation, UltiMaker, a provider of 3D printing solutions, has launched the new MakerBot Scholarship. The scholarship aims to empower students from underrepresented, low-income communities to pursue degrees in industrial engineering, manufacturing, or additive manufacturing by providing financial support for higher education.

The MakerBot Scholarship will award one student $20,000, distributed annually over four years ($5,000 per year). By alleviating financial barriers, this scholarship opens opportunities for students passionate about shaping the future of innovation and design thinking. The scholarship demonstrates MakerBot’s mission to make advanced technologies more accessible to all students.

“We believe that companies have a responsibility to give back and support communities, especially when it comes to empowering the next generation of innovators,” said Dottie Stewart, VP of Sales for the Americas at UltiMaker. “There are significant challenges in education today, and, as a result, students have fewer opportunities to pursue degrees. Through the MakerBot Scholarship, we will continue to provide critical resources to help students advance their education and prepare to be successful, productive adults in the workforce.”

The MakerBot Scholarship is part of the new MakerBot Gives Back Initiative, a broader effort to provide $500,000 worth of 3D printing resources to educators, students, schools, and STEM organizations. The MakerBot Scholarship provides students with support to pursue STEM degrees and develop skills that will help them succeed in their fields.

The SME Education Foundation is the philanthropic arm of SME that inspires, prepares, and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. The Foundation’s scholarship program awards nearly one million dollars on an annual basis to hundreds of graduating high school seniors and current college students across the country. With more than 60 distinct programs, the Foundation provides merit and need-based scholarships, issues renewing and one-time awards, and seeks applications from all eligible students. Since 2005, the Foundation has awarded $18 million to over 5,000 future industry leaders.

“Education and technology are what drive the manufacturing sector forward,” said Rob Luce, Vice President of the SME Education Foundation. “So when technology leaders like UltiMaker invest in the next generation of the skilled manufacturing workforce, the Foundation is proud to be a trusted partner in supporting students of all backgrounds on their path to a career in manufacturing.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the SME Education Foundation to provide more access to critical resources to help more students,” said Andrea Zermeño, Manager of MakerBot Education at UltiMaker. “We recognize the importance of education, and we believe that this will help better equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an evolving workforce.”