“It’s just some of the technology that you run into in the future. A lot of engineering and hands on jobs, a lot of it is done with 3D printers these days. It’s a good skill to have. Rendering stuff like this, helps you a lot in getting engineering kind of jobs. Also, it’s just fun,” says Cameron Kilcher, a sophomore at Camas High School. He is talking about the 3D modeling and printing club, which is new to the school this year. In this club students learn all about how to use 3D printers and modeling software to design and print a model of their own.
This club was created by Amelie Chen, a sophomore at Camas High School. “I’m not the most advanced person when it comes to software, but I think it would be fun to kind of teach people and also get advice from others,” comments Chen. She originally had the idea for the club last year, but the approval process didn’t start until September of 2018. Though, by that point, the club fair had passed, so she didn’t get to showcase her club. This year she finally got her club approved and it has been up and running since late September.
So far, members in the club have been learning how to use the software and have started designing their models. Nobody is yet at the level to start printing. Though, according to Chen, this skill isn’t very hard to learn. “Probably the most difficult part is making a model that fits what you want, but also is printable because there are some things that you can’t print for either size constraints or overhang or support,” Chen comments.
So far this club only has three members but they are looking for more people to join. In this club students learn about how to use 3D modeling software and get to design their own 3D model. “My favorite part of the club is probably just messing around and trying to see what creative shapes you can come up and create with,” says Kilcher. This club is great for anyone who is interested in 3D modeling and the technology of the future. According to Chen, “It’s a good skill to have, I would think. Also because, I mean, this would generate interest in the STEM field, which I think is something that is still really needed.”
