3DE Club and PVUSD Expanded Learning are bringing Inventor Academy to nine Watsonville-area elementary schools, where kids design, 3D print, and pitch their own inventions while building confidence and future-ready skills.
Picture a fourth grader in Watsonville spotting an everyday problem, sketching a fix, modeling it in 3D, printing it, and then standing up to pitch it to a room full of people. That's now happening every week.
3D Entrepreneurs (3DE) Club has partnered with Pajaro Valley Unified School District's Expanded Learning program to launch Inventor Academy at nine elementary schools. The after-school program blends creative problem-solving, 3D/STEAM technology, and hands-on making.
Ideas In, Inventions Out
In weekly two-hour sessions, students turn original ideas into 3D-printed creations. Along the way they learn to solve problems, build digital models, test designs, and refine their work.
Then comes the best part: pitch events and showcases. Students present what they built, explain their design choices, and field questions from the audience. That builds confidence, public-speaking chops, and leadership.
"As technology reshapes the world, students need to see themselves as creators and problem-solvers. This partnership builds those skills early and gives 3DE Club a foundation to reach more schools."
— Doug Erickson, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Works, and advisor to 3DE Club
Learning That Plays Like a Game
Inventor Academy runs on 3DE Club's online, gamified platform, which guides kids from first idea through 3D modeling to final presentation. Students earn points and badges as they hit milestones. Digital lessons walk them through sketching solutions, building models, and improving their printed prototypes.
Students also give feedback to classmates and help each other, so they learn that bringing an idea to life takes teamwork, experimentation, and persistence.
A Hometown Path to Hollywood
PVUSD and 3DE Club are also planning guest presentations and special events. One proposal is a webinar with Ross Blocher, Training Project Manager at Walt Disney Animation Studios and a 3DE Club advisor (in a personal capacity). Blocher grew up in Santa Cruz County and graduated from Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville. His credits include Frozen, Zootopia, Moana, and Encanto.
For a kid in Watsonville, hearing from someone who grew up nearby and now helps make Disney films shows that a local interest can turn into a real career.
"We chose 3DE Club because students take an active role in creating, solving problems, and sharing their work. They build practical skills and confidence that they can use in all other areas of life as well."
— Georgia Tyrrell, Assistant Director of Partnerships, PVUSD Expanded Learning
Why It Matters
Santa Cruz County's innovation economy depends on the next generation of builders. Inventor Academy gets kids designing, prototyping, and pitching at age 8, years before most people do any of those things. That gives them a strong start toward becoming inventors and founders.
Learn more at 3de.club and PVUSD Expanded Learning.
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