Orientation to the future in Reggio Calabria’s suburbs
Training workshops for teachers as part of Project Orientation to the Future in Reggio Calabria, coordinated by Cooperativa Res Omnia, have begun. The two-year project is financed by the European Union and supported by the Agency for Territorial Cohesion. This major social construction drive will be operating in the southern outskirts of Reggio Calabria, in areas characterized by a high percentage of adolescents in conditions of unease or at risk of deviance, to accompany the growth of adolescents who live in conditions of economic and educational poverty.
In particular, on January 30, ITT Panella Vallauri worked on the Tinkercad Platform. As explained by Coach Maurizio Marrara, “in our digital age, advanced technology is revolutionizing the way in which we conceive and produce objects. Amongst the most innovative forms of technology, fab labs have emerged as an intriguing and creative universe in which prototyping becomes art. Fab labs are environments equipped with precision machinery, such as 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC milling machines, and more that provide innovators, makers, designers, educators, and students with access to advanced prototyping tools, opening the door to a world of creative possibilities. Designing an object in a virtual environment is the first stage in creating a prototype. Software like TinkerCAD allows you to digitally model the desired object. Next, using slicer software, such as PrusaSlicer, is crucial. These tools translate the 3D model into successive layers, generating the G-code file that the 3D printer will use to create the prototype. A practical approach to 3D printing can be introduced into educational environments, involving teachers and students in the design and prototyping of objects. From initial design to feasibility testing, students not only learn about theoretical concepts but also how to apply them.”
The ability to prototype objects with innovative materials and the active involvement of students in the design process make digital manufacturing laboratories (fab labs) true hotbeds of creativity and practical learning. The magic of 3D printing shows us that the future of prototyping is already here, in the hands of those who have the courage to imagine and create.
Professor Gianluca Poto at IIT Panella Vallauri explains how “this training is very important and transversal. The recipients are not only teachers who deal with related topics but also teachers of other subjects that are discovering how to use them. We are learning through practical activities with coaches who are helping us to delve into the fab lab world.”
