CCTC donates 3D printer to Alice Drive Elementary School

On Monday, April 8, Central Carolina Technical College donated a new 3D printer to Alice Drive Elementary School’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) lab. This donation is part of a Partnership in Education between CCTC and Alice Drive Elementary School. The Partners in Education initiative was started in 2018 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Sumter School District with a goal of partnering businesses and organizations with one or more of the 26 schools in Sumter County. Central Carolina Technical College is official Partners in Education with Alice Drive Elementary School and Alice Drive Middle School.

ADE teacher Lisa Jackson’s fourth-grade class visited the STEM lab Monday morning to see how the new 3D printer worked. Department Chair for Engineering Design Technology David Tuders and Engineering Design Technology student Keenan Miller unboxed and assembled the printer. Miller is currently teaching an eight-week AutoCAD class at ADM. He will graduate this May with an associate degree in Engineering Design Technology and start working at CCTC as an adjunct instructor in the same program. Tuders and Miller are planning an abbreviated four-week AutoCAD course to teach students at ADE.

The Engineering Design Technology program at CCTC offers training in AutoCAD, Inventor and SolidWorks Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs. The program also exposes students to many engineering disciplines including: mechanical, architectural, structural, electronics’, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, civil, three-dimensional modeling and photorealistic rendering. Additionally, students have access to rapid prototyping labs that include 40 3D printers. The Engineering Design Technology program is an associate degree program that can be completed in as few as five semesters. Graduates find occupations as CAD designers, design drafters, mechanical drafters, architectural drafters, CAD operators, CAD technicians, civil drafters and drafters.

For more information regarding CCTC’s Engineering Design Technology program please visit: cctech.edu/program-of-study/engineering-design-technology-engd/