Jefferson Hills Intermediate School CHRISTOPHER VERY, PRINCIPAL
T
J3D is a student club at Jefferson Hills Intermediate
School (JHIS) in the West Jefferson Hills School District
(WJHSD). It was founded in October 2019 with over
100 student members in the 4th and 5th grade. The
goal of the club is to promote, encourage, and support students
taking initiative to learn 3D printing and design processes along
with real world entrepreneurial skills. Members of the club take
part in online activities, discussions, and challenges via Google
Classroom. Once per week, students spend their recess time
working in small, cooperative teams in which they are assigned
various roles: project manager, accountant, advertising,
customer relations, inventory control, marketing, and design
specialist. Each student in the club works to create original
3D models, promote them for sale on our store website, and
fulfill and deliver orders. The profits from the sale of 3D printed
products goes to support future activities of the club and
continuation of the business. Please check out our store website
at www.tj3dstore.com.
The TJ3D club was started with generous financial and
organizational support from Real World Scholars through
their EdCorps platform which empowers and supports
opportunities for students to explore entrepreneurship and
business operations. TJ3D is always in need of, and searching for,
additional corporate sponsors. If you or your organization would
like to support our efforts in teaching 3D design, manufacturing,
and entrepreneurship to our students, please contact us at:
[email protected].
42 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS
The majority of the design work for our products is done
using TinkerCAD. This is an entry-level, web-based CAD
(Computer-Aided Design) program that makes digital design
accessible to our students while giving them creative options
and flexibility. While most of our work is entirely original, some
products are derived from existing models that are modified
and customized. We strive to make sure that all models that are
borrowed from other sources are free to use for commercial
purposes according to Creative Commons License regulations.
Whenever possible, credit is given to the original designers for
any modified models.
TJ3D is led by Mr. Adam Gebhardt and Mr. Stephen Lauso.
Mr. Gebhardt has been teaching art to third through fifth
grade at JHIS for the past 12 years. He incorporates technology
into his lessons and projects in an initiative he calls ArtEd21
through which he seeks to modernize the traditional art-
making experience with 21st century learning and technology
resources. Mr. Gebhardt enjoys expressing creativity in any
medium from graphite drawing to 3D printing. Mr. Lauso has
been a teacher in the West Jefferson Hills School District for 12
years. Prior to being hired as a teacher, he attended WJHSD as a
student. His passion for technology and computers was ignited
by his 4th grade science teacher, Mr. K, at McClellan Elementary.
Now in the same position, Mr. Lauso’s favorite part of teaching is
paying forward the gift of curiosity that was given to him by the
teachers of his childhood.