Premier Episode – Teaching Tech in Nekoosa

Hello, and welcome to the pilot episode of Community Stories, Jr. I'm your host, Melissa

Kay.

I'm delighted to bring this brand new show to you, where I get to highlight the talented

young people in our area.

I'll be following a group of six, seventh, and eighth graders as they progress through

a school semester, learning 3D printing in the Nikusa school district.

Their teacher, Mr. Benjamin Peters, has achieved a goal of implementing a one-to-one ratio

of students to 3D printers in the technology classroom or CAD FabLab.

You'll be able to travel along and get to know these young people as they discover the

process of what it means to have this technology at their fingertips on a daily basis.

You're also going to hear from many other young people throughout the run of this show,

including our theater youth involved in hope of productions at the Wisconsin Rapids Community

Theatre this summer, and other student groups throughout our listening area.

Additionally, we have a very special story that will air at the end of the show called

Tale Time.

Tune in each week to hear adventures with Kevin the Cat, and maybe even some friends he

makes along the way.

Now sit back and enjoy your community stories with me, your host, Melissa Kay, and this first

introduction to the tech classes at Nikusa Middle School with our principal, Mr. Julius.

I'm here at Alexander Middle School with principal Jason Julius, welcome to Community Stories

Jr.

It's great to be here.

I can't wait to tell our story.

Well, I'd like to talk with you about your brand new CAD FabLab here and the exciting new

advancements that you're working toward in the tech education of our young people.

So first let's talk about the lab.

If you could describe for our listeners what you see when you walk into the classroom.

Oh, absolutely.

Well, let's first start with CAD FabLab.

That's something you don't hear very often.

CAD stands for computer aided design and then obviously fabrication laboratory.

So it's easier.

It rolls off the tongue a little bit easier than the whole words, but it is fantastic when

you walk in.

It's not like anything I've seen in any other district.

Every student has a workstation and at that workstation there's a computer and there's

an individual printer and a 3D printer.

Every student has that ability to create, innovate and design and then ultimately print.

I've seen different districts that have had one, maybe two 3D printers.

We have a station.

We have 20 3D printers and you see you walk in and it just exudes technology.

I don't know how else to say it.

You walk in.

You're just blown away with all the different stations and the kids working and engaged.

I always heard that term hands on as brains on and kids are actively engaged and they're

learning and you see the product.

They get actually designed something and see the product and take it with them.

To be a little bit more visual, you walk in and there are computers and stations all

the way around the outside of the wall and at the middle is kind of a, I look at it as

a common area, an empty table where kids can bring their projects that they've been

working on individually to the center of the room where now they can collaborate.

It's really allowing for students to one harness their individual skills whether it's with

the computer-aided design and then come together in that team fashion where they're maybe

actually integrating different parts that they've created into that collaborative process.

Now I've heard that this lab is the first of its kind in the district.

Can you tell me how this all came about?

It might not be the only the first in this district, it could be the first in the state.

It is amazing.

It actually came about through a lot of grants and really not only the grants but also

the vision.

I have to tip our hat to Ben Peters and Marcus Wilcox, our technology education teachers

without their passion and their vision.

You don't go out and you seek the grants.

You don't go out and do the things that we're doing without that drive.

I got to tip my hat to them first and then there are 18 Wisconsin schools that received

$493,000 in grants and we were fortunate enough to get one of those.

So these fabrication laboratories or these cat fabs kind of were integrated throughout

the state.

I don't know what other districts are doing but I do know what we're doing and it's amazing.

These labs are offering students the opportunity to gain that hands-on experience and preparing

for that next step.

And I think we'll talk about that later but what does that mean for the high school level?

What does that mean for jobs in science, technology, engineering, art and math and it's amazing

to see our kids already engaged at a sixth grade level exploring those options.

Typically, what you're finding in that are those 3D printers and those laser engravers and

we have access to all of that and that's unheard of at a middle school level.

It truly is.

I've seen some of that equipment at a high school level but to really exposing our kids

which at a middle school level that's really what they're supposed to be doing.

They're supposed to be exploring and what is their passion and what are they getting

engaged on and this is a great opportunity for them to do that.

And very fortunate that we had that vision with our teachers and the support of our grants.

So you touched on this a little bit but you've worked in other school districts.

How does this compare to other labs in other schools and other tech programs?

Yeah, you just don't see this at a middle school level.

A lot of times in my experience, I taught science at a district, I've been a principal

in other districts and you start seeing hands-on, hands-on as brains on, right?

You start seeing hands-on project and really trying to get our students to think solutions

based but you don't see the equipment.

You don't see that next step.

I mean, it's one of those things where yeah, you can build a Pinewood Derby car or whatever

I'm thinking of all the different gliders and balloon gliders that you typically see

in a middle school tech ad program, we're actually designing them and the 3D printers

creating them and that's just, it's that next step and you see the light and the engagement

from the kids, they just light eyes light up but no, you don't see this at a middle school

level.

I remember Ben and Valdin education long enough when 3D printers kind of came on board

and they took like half the room.

It seemed like they were huge and to replace the cartridges and how they evolved and

then their ability to ease of use and how our kids are just not afraid of technology.

And so getting that technology in their hands when they can explore is just a great opportunity.

And so it's blown me away as far as the expectations that I've had and like I said, I got to tip

my hat to the instructors and just an awesome opportunity.

So tell me what kind of reaction you're seeing from parents.

So it's hard because a lot of times middle school students don't talk to parents.

Hey, how'd your day go and you maybe get one grunt or syllable answers but when you

get parents in the building and they walk by and they see some of the designs that kids

are doing or we have a display board, wow, then they start, where'd that come from or

what's going on here.

And then you take those opportunities in showcase what that lab looks like and it's amazing

the parent reaction.

But then you also have those parents that are able to get more than one syllable responses

from their middle school child and it's fun to run into them in the community and they

talk about, boy, my child did this.

I wish I would have that when I was in school.

All of those typical responses that you hear from parents, it's one of those things

where we really want to make sure we are arming our students to be future ready and this

is allowing them to do that and I think parents recognize that and I think they are excited

for their child to have those possibilities.

And so what's the reaction you're seeing from the students?

Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to start.

There are so many kids that they walk by, they can't wait to be in tech ad, they can't

wait to do this.

We actually have fourth and fifth graders that walk by and they want to be part of it and

it is so cool.

I'm like, well, you got to wait till sixth grade before you can actually do that.

So they're already excited about that process.

And then when they see the cool things that are happening outside with the application

part of that, whether it's rocketry or anything, those type of projects just garner a lot

of attention.

Again, I got to tip my hat to Mr. Peter as he is the ultimate promoter of his program

because he passionately believes in what they're doing.

And so when a fourth grader is stopping by and asking questions, he'll drop everything

he's doing even though he might be in the middle of his prep and he will talk through what

that child is seeing.

We have some students that will request to take breaks because they are struggling

in school and kind of an incentive to go do some 3D modeling.

Are you kidding me?

We have kids that want to take and engage in more learning.

That's a credit to what that space looks like and a credit to the vision and the passion

that the instructors have.

But no, the response from the kids have been tremendous.

I think most of them realize how fortunate they are.

I mean, middle school kids are middle school kids and never going to tell you that they love

anything.

But it is one of those things where you can see the engagement just by the participation

in what they're doing in class.

So from an administrative point of view, how do you see this impacting student education

as they progress from middle school to high school and then into further careers?

I really feel that a big job of schools are to expose kids and prepare them for the

next level.

Whatever that happens to be, right?

And some of our students are going to go right into the workforce, some of them might

go in the military, some of them might go into college.

But for whatever, we don't know what that is.

But we do know that they need to have the skills to be successful in all of that.

And I think career education and technical education and problem solving skills and all

of those things that the program is designed to focus in is important.

And so at the middle school level, we do rotate all of our students through the classes.

It's not just an elective, you don't choose to take tech ed.

We want to make sure we're exposing them to all of our electives.

And then as they go from seventh grade to eighth grade to into high school, now they've

been exposed to that and they can decide, nope, that was something I liked and something

I didn't like.

But working on those problem solving skills, really being focused in on what that college

and career readiness means is a huge focus in our district and making sure that they are

truly ready for that.

So I only look at this as a big piece of that push, right?

We want to make sure our kids are exposed to science, technology, engineering, arts and

mathematics.

And that's the focus of our program, the focus of a lot of our classes.

But this is giving them that exposure so that at high school, they're like, nope, that

was for me.

I loved what I did.

I want to continue and ultimately get into maybe that engineering path or maybe that

technical path or whatever it happens to be, but it's just getting them plugged in sooner.

I really appreciate you sitting down and taking the time to speak with me today, Mr. Julius,

is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners?

Yeah, I do.

I really feel that this CAD Fab Lab is the start of many of our community partnerships.

We are really looking to get our students interacting with community businesses and opportunities

because really the best way our students can learn is through exposure and experiences,

whether it's radio shows like this and being exposed to the amazing opportunities that

that could create or whatever it happened to be, we just want to make sure we're starting

those conversations so that our kids are hitting the ground running when they bring that

relevance to school.

Sometimes there are so many times through my career right here, when do I need to learn

this?

Why do I need to know this?

When you can bring relevancy into what they're learning and I think our community partnerships

can really do that, I think that would be fantastic.

If you have any questions about that, how you can get involved in schools, please don't

hesitate to reach out to me.

If you have specific things that you'd love to see our CAD Fab Lab help out with, don't

hesitate to reach out or even to Mr. Peters.

We're looking for projects, we're looking for ways for our kids to impact our community

and that's extra special.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hello and welcome back to Community Stories Junior.

I'm here with a talented group of young people and I'm excited for you to meet them.

I'm going to ask you all to introduce yourselves to our listening audience.

Please tell us what your name is and what grade you are in school.

My name is Lillian and I'm in sixth

I'm in sixth grade and I'm in sixth grade.

Why are you taking this technology class with Mr. Peters?

You know, I did.

Was it an option for you on your schedule?

It was on my schedule because I like technology.

It was on my schedule.

It was on my schedule too.

Are you enjoying Mr. Peters' technology class?

Yes.

We get 3D print stuff, basically whatever we want, we even get to do sometimes design

what we want to print.

I think TechEd is really fun and you get to create different things and make 3D printed

stuff on TinkerCAD, which is an app on your computer and it's really fun.

I am because I like to be able to 3D print stuff and it's just fun because you could

basically print anything you want.

Today we got to choose what we get to 3D print today.

We get to design our own things and be creative.

I like making things and tech class.

It was given to me on my schedule but I really didn't know if I was going to like it or

not but didn't.

I loved it.

You get to go on TinkerCAD, you get to design it and it just takes way too long to be honest.

Do you think it will get easier in time as you learn TinkerCAD better?

Yeah.

For those of us who don't know what TinkerCAD is, can you explain it to me, William?

It's an app that you go on and there's like all these shapes that you can shrink, make

bigger or change the color and you get to like stack them, put them on top of each other

and make all kinds of shapes and designs and then once you're ready, you can print it

in 3D printer.

So does it give you the freedom to do whatever you want?

Yes.

There's all kinds of shapes.

There's even like some words or like swirls or stuff, stars.

There's all kinds of stuff that you can do.

So TinkerCAD, you can make your own models and then if you get like what is it called?

A chip that you could put into a computer and you can put the stuff into the chip that

you made on TinkerCAD, you could put it into the 3D printer and then it makes that.

So it's like that's how people make other models.

So is that how you make the designs that you do that you can put into the 3D printer?

Yeah.

TinkerCAD, you can make anything with them, there's all types of shapes that you can do.

Tell me your earliest memories or when you first learned about 3D printing.

My brother rang a bunch of stuff, huh?

Probably last year because I asked my friend Macy to get me one of the 3D printed

lizards.

I really didn't know about it until when I first took the class where he explained it to

us everything and we printed, was it the climbing man?

Yeah, the climbing man.

It was standing man, then climbing man.

Oh yeah, standing man, then climbing man.

Where then he had his right like a paragraph or two about why we think it works this way

and why it has to be diagnosed and stand up.

My uncle got his 3D printer, I went over to his house and helped make, I think

I was a dolphin for my mom.

Oh wow, how big was the dolphin?

Like a size of a sticky note.

Did that interest you in taking this class then?

A little, yeah.

How about you, Colin?

My earliest memory was when I first started 3D printing with Mr. Peters and when he taught

me how to 3D print.

Was that this year in sixth grade or did you start it last year?

Um, was this year in sixth grade?

I don't really have a memory of 3D printing.

So did you learn about it when you first started taking this class?

No, I've known about it since like a while now since like fourth grade.

My best memory is like the first, the first one that we made which was the sitting man

and it's just cool like how you can make so much stuff.

Can you explain to me how the sitting man is printed?

Okay, so I think I don't know if any of these structures are not but if it senses a sitting

man and it's like angled and needs to lay down on its back and then have its legs go

up in the air and then to the side.

I think Jackson, can you explain to me what standing man and climbing man are?

Basically there's a standing man, you printed it up like climbing up and then it added

that basically built the human, then it added like the feet and their hands.

It did it flat because if it did it standing like the material that you make it with,

it would like fall down because how hot it is and like so that's why it has to like

be laying down and it makes the hands like up and you just take it off with the scraper.

Can you describe what the climbing man is or how it's printed?

This like looks like a little person that like the arms that one's longer than the other

and they're like can hold on to stuff, it has like a fat piece on top of its, well on

its arm that it like sits there.

It is made by putting the structures together and printing it flat and then putting the

arms straight up with the flat piece over it.

I don't only remember it but all I remember is like a man, dad little things sticking

out his on that could hang on just off of it.

And there were two other man figures like that that you printed, do you remember what

those are?

Standing man and sitting man.

What's special about those that are different than the climbing man?

Uh, standing man, stands on the stuff and just sitting man and can sit and stuff.

Did the printer print special parts to be able to make them like hang over the edge of

something?

Well on the sitting man it did add like a little tree pot otherwise it would fall down because

of gravity.

Can you describe what a 3D printer looks like?

It looks kind of futuristic like see through and silver and a box.

Um it has tempered glass on the front but we are not even sure if it's tempered glass

yet but it's a see through glass that we could see when it prints and the teacher lets

us open the door when it's printing so we can watch it.

Sometimes it goes like really crazy going back and forth of making exacts so the printer

nozzle.

Yeah.

It goes really fast printing and there's actually another part to it.

It's a metal part and it's magnetized to the thing that goes up and down.

It's like a rectangle square I don't really know but like inside it has a tray and then

it has like the stuff that 3D prints I can't think what it's called on top of it.

You can change the colors too.

A 3D printer is a square with mechanical parts inside it with a plate that makes a 3D

printer print the stuff that you want to.

3D printer would be like a 3D buck tangle with a glass panel like an open to take the

3D printing out and there's like a little platform that arises to point how tall it

should be and when it's done you can take one of the plates out and then you can remove

the 3D printing off that and then you have to put it back in and inside it wanted to

plate.

It's like a little magnet so you can go inside it and there's a bunch of magnets inside

there and if you want to print a sitting color it would go to that sitting color and melt

it down so you can print the 3D printing you want.

3D printers can be different they're usually like a box and then there's like a camera

and the inside and then there's like a mat inside so then that's what they would print

on and then there's usually on the outside there's a screen that you could put like stuff

in so it tells you what to print and then it will print it and then it's cool because

there's like on the ones that we have here there's four different filaments that you can

use and all the filaments that you have in there there's probably like a bunch of filaments

and you can use every other color that you want.

Do you have a favorite color or filament?

The one that I'm using to create the pumpkin that we're doing right now it's like a shiny

light blue so it's cool and there's also a green and then there's a white.

What do you hope to learn by taking this class?

I hope to learn, dad can make whatever.

I hope to learn to make some really complicated stuff like maybe a mini norm.

That we have really much fun and we get to learn how the 3D printed is made.

It uses some of its things to melt it down and so it's printed and when it dries up it's

really fun to play with.

So what do you hope to learn in this class or is there a special project you want to be

able to print?

I really want to make like if you see that some people have like lizards that are like

physical that you can move around and there's a basketball that I want to make but that

requires like a big 3D printer and I don't know but I want to print a bunch of stuff

and ask too much stuff to say right now.

So you have a full list of things you hope to print this year?

Yeah.

I only know what project I want to print but I think I'm going to print something for

my grandpa like with my with his mom and dad's name on them because they died when he

was like 30 or something I think.

You can print letters with this too?

Yeah.

On the like app we use there's like this text box and you have to click that and then

you have to erase text and type whatever you want to type.

And you have to build it on a platform so that it prints on something and the letters

aren't all separate.

Yeah.

You have to do that.

You also can make a transparent.

Can you do different colors at the same time?

Yeah.

I don't know how many you can do but you can do at least two.

I hope drawing how to print stuff when I'm at home and you could give me the stuff when

I'm at school.

Do you have a 3D printer at home?

No.

Do you hope to get one?

Yeah.

Is it what you asked for for Christmas?

Yeah.

I really want one.

Alright Easton what do you hope to learn in this class?

No.

I just like to point to a whole bit old of album covers.

Album covers for what?

System of a down.

Is that your favorite band?

Yeah.

So what would your album cover look like?

I don't know.

Just an album cover that's probably like a 0.2mm thick 0.2mm is the size of every single

way.

So 100 way as it'd be about half an inch tall, maybe three fourths.

I hope to learn more about how it works and how the machine works together to print

the objects.

I want to like make and like I want to make different stuff and like make like different

things that I can put on my room and like stuff that I can take home and show my family

and like how it works and like my younger sister can like do the class and stuff.

I would love to learn about more about the tech and tinkerbell because I like designing

stuff and also I kind of want to make some more of my design stuff.

So you think you can make money doing this?

Yeah.

Except we can go to MIT.

You're going to lose it all.

Stay tuned.

We'll be right back with more community stories.

Welcome back to Community Stories Junior on WFHR.

The tail time is up next, but first here's the rest of the story.

I'm here with some seventh graders.

Can you tell me your first name?

Gosh.

My name is Jodan.

My name is Lydia.

My name is Damian.

Madeline.

Phoenix.

Hey, why are you taking Mr. Peter's class?

So I can learn more about 3D printing.

It's really fun.

You get to print stuff and you get to like do experiments with machines and all that

stuff.

I had it on my schedule last year.

I thought it was really fun and was very excited to take it this year.

I had it on my schedule and it involves technology, so I really liked it.

So I decided to use it this year because it's really interesting.

I thought it was fun.

I get to make free things.

What is your earliest memory of 3D printing or when did you first learn about 3D printing?

I learned it mostly from Mr. Peter's in tech ed, but I had a cousin that would make

figures and show me it.

I learned it from going into my classroom and I saw boxes and I'm like, oh my god, we

are going to do some 3D printing.

I first learned about 3D printing last year and 6th grade and Mr. Peter is sort of like

introduced it to us.

Whenever I didn't have a class and I walked by and I still had a boxage and that the box

isn't reggae.

Yeah.

What did you think they were?

I have no idea.

How about you, Kaden?

Last year and 6th grade when Mr. Peter introduced it to us.

It might be when I was in 5th grade that we started.

That's when I learned about it, but we didn't start it until 6th.

I learned about 3D printing about 2 years ago when he had his print stuff on Tinkercat.

Now you're saying Tinkercat.

Can you tell me what that is?

Tinkercat is a site that you can make stuff and then you can be able to print it on

3D printer.

And how do you make stuff on this program?

When you're done in Tinkercat, you can go to just bottom on the top.

It's called like X-Port and then you can click STL.

That's the type of plastic and type of size or whatever it is that.

It uses the print that and then you do that and then you go over to school G and then

you can click submit and then you grab the file, drag it over and then you'll get ready

to start printing.

So there's different colors to choose from of the plastic.

Do you have a favorite?

My favorite color is pale blue.

My favorite color is gold.

Favorite color is gold.

It's like a dark purple and it has like sparkles of it.

Mine's a very dark green.

Can you describe what a 3D printer looks like?

A 3D printer kind of looks like a box and then the middle of it is open and then there's

a tray inside and then there's like a kind of like a nozzle on the top of it that has

the kind of like plastic that you print on the plate type thing in the middle.

So it's sort of like a box and there's like a top on it with all the like 3D printing

stuff and then there's a nozzle tip that and objects like the 3D printing stuff and

then it makes the 3D printing like a golf ball like I have in my hand.

It's like a big metal box with a clear window that shows you what's 3D printing on a metal

tray.

It's metal box.

It has a medic plate and also it has four spots for a moment.

It goes into another little box that's hovering over the metal plate and it's just starting

to make your art piece.

Does it get really hot?

Very.

So it's like a big rectangular like box or whatever and so on the top the filament like

goes into it and then it just prints on the like board and you have to put a special glue

on it so it like sticks.

I feel like it's a square on box with filament on the top and like it melts it and then

it plies it onto like the black surface and it hardens.

Big metal box with plastic on top that looks like a robot.

There's like a little nozzle that there's filament and it heats up so it's thin enough

to come out and hardens.

What is the printing process when you're watching it work?

What does it look like?

So at first it, the nozzle, it like taps all around the like surface of the plate and

then it like starts printing like a border sort of and then it starts, it draws an outline

of where the object is going to be and then after a while we do like scans it over to

make sure it's complete it starts making the object.

Tell me how it builds on itself as it's printing.

It just makes layers and layers until it's fully done and it just moves really fast.

And how do you get the project off of the plate when it's done printing?

Mr. Peters built a scraper that you take your print off with it?

Are some of them harder to get off than others?

Yeah.

What do you hope to learn by taking this class?

I hope to learn how to basically just get better at 30 printing.

Like being able to print stuff that we use for kind of like a phone stand like we're

printing today.

I hope to learn a lot more about like the 3D printing and like how it works and like

the soft that makes it and like the technology.

I hope to learn how to better use technology.

I'm hoping to print bookmarks for my books.

I'm a big book reader and a big like lizard that can move because I think those are cool.

And do you want to be able to do that in multiple colors?

Of course.

Colors are the best.

I hope to learn about how to like make games for other people to enjoy.

Do you have any games in mind?

Yeah, like RPG games and stuff.

I hope to learn about like engineering and what it's like to like build something.

I want to learn a lot of technology in this class.

Make more things like like spinning which would be like on your computer just make it

movable like smaller more movable parts and prints.

Do you have any particular pieces that you're hoping to print throughout the course of

this class?

Maybe like bigger stuff because right now we're just working on smaller pieces.

So maybe like later in the year they can print stuff off of our computers and bigger

stuff.

Is there a reason that you're not able to print bigger stuff right now?

Sometimes they don't fit.

The reader parts it takes a lot more time than a lot of parts.

So I want to make an airplane that will actually fly or a movable car.

Now this is our last bunch of introductions.

Please tell me your names and what grade you're in.

My name's Grant and I'm in eighth grade.

My name's Gus and I'm also in eighth grade.

My name's Drew and I'm also in eighth grade.

My name's Katie and I'm in the eighth grade.

My name's Jordan and I'm in the eighth grade.

I'm Carson and I am in eighth grade.

I'm Adeline and I'm in eighth grade.

I'm Cameron and I'm in eighth grade.

What is your earliest memory of 3D printing?

Last year when we got put in this class and I had to make a paperweight.

Yeah, seventh grade, second quarter.

The paperweight was the first thing we 3D printed and we had little 3D printers that

were fun to use.

My earliest memories of 3D printing are in seventh grade when the first time that I

ever even heard about any programs that help you with 3D printing.

I remember learning about 3D printing in sixth grade.

We had the class first time in that grade and it was just really cool.

I haven't really had experience with it so this was my first year and I think it's pretty

good.

I remember in sixth grade and it was pretty cool starting about it.

Can you describe what a 3D printer looks like?

It's kind of big box with a door and a metal tray that moves up and down with how the 3D

print is made.

Yeah, it's a big box with a metal tray that heats up and moves up and down and then there's

a nozzle that moves around that puts down the filament to 3D print things.

It's like a microwave but instead of like spinning it goes up and down instead of like

heating food, it heats like plastic.

A 3D printer sort of looks like basically a regular printer but just a little taller,

most likely with a glass or a plexiglass door, a build plate which is basically maybe a heated

platform with a magnetized plate that sits on top of the heated platform and then the

nozzle heats up plastic and it dispenses the plastic onto the build plate.

It has a little screen on it to scroll on it and see what you want to print.

It's a big black box that has a door you can see through and then it just has like a

little needle inside that makes the print.

Well, the needle goes around.

The tray moves up and down too depending on how big a part is.

The magnet has a top for like the string and stuff to like make the plastic.

One of your earliest projects was the standing man or the climbing man.

Can you describe how that's printed?

Describe the process for me.

First it's a thin layer that's a rough shape of a man and then it just keeps building

up until it's finished.

Yeah, and with these 3D printers are more high tech so they do like little lines around

to calibrate first and then it lays down the first outline.

It does some more calibrations and then it fills the rest out.

Yeah, it like makes layers and it goes really fast, it makes more layers, yeah the feet

are like taller than the rest.

So the program that I have used, it's basically a tablet screen connected to the 3D printer

where you scroll and then there are little icons basically and you just tap one and then

press print.

It puts out the plastic or whatever onto the platform and then it looks like the man

is sitting once it comes out or when it's printing it, it goes in weird shapes and like

all that.

You have to lift the plate up and take a little plastic thing and like a chisel thing

and take it all off.

The needle goes around and does the outline first and then it just goes side to side through

the middle, back and forth until it's the right level of the outside.

It like puts it on there and then the parts that are flat, it just like does it.

I mean you need a support so if it's not like flat, I'm gonna try.

What do you hope to learn in this class?

I hope to learn how to use these a lot more than I do now because right now we do know

a lot but this probably a lot more we can learn later on.

I hope that in the future maybe I could do something like this.

Like learning how to transfer parts like your own parts that you want to make it into

the thing.

I hope to learn to make bigger 3D prints and better ones.

I hope to learn things that you can actually use in your life and things that actually move

and work.

By taking this class I hope to learn more about 3D printing and just technology in general.

I hope to learn about building more 3D printers and like figuring out more technology.

Stick around, tail time is up next.

Kevin the Cat, Chapter 1.

Once upon a time in a bustling county shelter filled with the sounds of barks, meows and

the occasional chirp, there lived a very special cat named Kevin.

Kevin wasn't just any cat, he was a unique and charming feeling with the story that tugged

at the heartstrings of everyone who met him.

He had been at the shelter for four long months waiting patiently for his forever home.

Kevin was a striking cat with a mostly black coat that gleamed like polished amics under

the shelter's fluorescent lights.

These legs, chest and belly were a contrasting snowy white, making him look like he was wearing

a tuxedo.

But the most captivating feature of Kevin were his eyes.

They were the color of amber, warm and inviting like the glow of a sunset.

And then there was his ear.

The one that had given him the nickname, cauliflower eared cat.

It was crinkled and folded in a way that set him apart from the other cats.

No one at the shelter knew how his ear had been hurt, but one of the veterinarians remarked

that it added to his charm, making him look both rugged and handsome.

Despite his unique appearance and affectionate nature, Kevin had a tough time finding a home.

Many families who visited the shelter were drawn to him because of his gentle purrs and

the way he knuzzled against their chest when they picked him up.

But there was a catch.

Kevin didn't get along with other animals.

Whenever he was let out of his cage for his daily exercise, he would walk up to the other

cat's cages and start hissing and swatting.

The shelter staff believed that Kevin's distrust of other cats stemmed from a difficult

past.

It was likely that when he had been lost from his home, he had encountered wild cats who

weren't too friendly.

These encounters had left Kevin wary and defensive.

Kevin's hope for a new home was kept alive by his favorite person at the shelter, a kind

and gentle volunteer named Shelley.

Shelley had a special way with animals and she always made Kevin feel loved and important.

She would spend extra time with him brushing his fur and talking to him in a soothing voice.

Kevin adored these moments and he would purr and chirp contentedly, feeling safe and

cherished.

However, there was one curious thing about Shelley.

She called him Dante.

Kevin didn't mind, but he often wondered if she knew his real name was Kevin.

Every day, Kevin watched as families came and went, taking other cats home but leaving

him behind.

He tried to be on his best behavior, rubbing against the bars of his cage and meowing softly,

hoping to catch someone's attention.

But when other cats were around, his anxiety would get the best of him and he would start

to act out.

The shelter staff understood his behavior and they didn't hold it against him, but they

knew it made it harder for him to find a home.

One sunny afternoon, a family came into the shelter looking for a new feline friend.

They had a little girl named Emma who was around 8 years old with bright blue eyes and

a smile that could light up her room as they walked through the rows of cages and must

stop in front of Kevin's cage.

Look, Mommy, this kitty is so pretty!

She exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement, Kevin, sensing her gentle spirit, locked up

to the bars and rubbed his head against them, giving her his special chirps, Emma giggled

and reached out to pet him.

Kevin's amber eyes met hers and for a moment it seemed like he had found his match.

Emma's mother, Mrs. Johnson, asked the shelter staff about Kevin and they explained

his situation, how affectionate he was with other people, but how he didn't get along

with other animals.

Emma wasn't paying attention while her mom talked with the other people in the room.

She spent the time petting Kevin and telling him how pretty he was and how she wanted to

show him her house.

Pretty soon her mom came over to the cage.

Mrs. Johnson knelt down to Emma's level and gently explained, sweetheart.

This kitty is very special, but he needs a home where he can be the only pet.

We can't bring Dante home because he won't get along with whiskers.

I'm so sorry, sweetie, but it was whiskers home first and he deserves a friend.

Emma's face fell and she looked sadly at Kevin.

I'm sorry, kitty!

She whispered before moving on to look at other cats.

Kevin watched them go feeling a pang of disappointment.

It seemed like every time he got close to finding a home, something got in the way.

He returned to his spot in the cage, curling up and closing his eyes.

He was trying to hold onto the hope that his person was still out there and that they

would know his name was Kevin.

The next day something different happened.

A tall, quiet man entered the shelter.

He had kind eyes and a gentle demeanor.

This man was friends with Shelly and she had told him about Dante, the cauliflower-eared cat.

Shelly thought that they could maybe be good friends and keep each other company.

The man had been feeling lonely and decided to visit the shelter to meet Dante.

Shelly greeted him with a warm smile.

I'm so glad you came, Ron.

Let me introduce you to Dante.

She led him to Kevin's cage where the black and white cat lay.

As soon as Kevin saw Shelly, he perked up his amber eyes, shining with recognition and affection.

This is Dante.

Shelly said softly, opening the cage door.

Kevin stepped out gracefully and walked up to Ron, looking at him with curious eyes.

Ron knelt down and gently petted Kevin's head.

Hello, Dante.

He said with a smile.

And his expression changed.

Wait, he said, that's not your name.

Your name is Kevin, the cat.

I've heard a lot about you.

Kevin chirped his happiest chirp.

This human knew his name.

Kevin leaned into Ron's chest and knuzzled under his chin.

He could sense the kindness in this man and felt an immediate connection.

Ron looked at Shelly and said,

I think Kevin the cat is going to be my good buddy and pal.

Kevin's heart swelled with happiness.

Finally, he found his person, someone who understood him and would give him the love and attention

he craved.

Plus the man knew his real name.

Kevin knuzzled the man's hand, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't felt in a long time.

As Ron completed the adoption paperwork, Shelly looked on with tears of joy in her eyes.

She knew Kevin was going to a good home where he would be cherished.

You're going to miss him, aren't you?

Ron asked Shelly as he picked up Kevin, now nestled comfortably in his arms.

Shelly nodded, wiping away at here.

I will, but I'm so happy for him.

And who knows?

Maybe I'll see him again since we're friends.

Kevin looked up at Ron and thought, this is my human.

He felt a surge of happiness knowing he would no longer have to compete with other

cats for attention.

He would have this man all to himself, and that's exactly what he wanted.

As they left the shelter, Kevin looked back one last time at Shelly, giving her a final

glance with his amber eyes.

He knew he would miss her, but he was ready for his new adventure with his human.

Kevin the cat was finally going home, where he would be the center of attention and

showered with all the love he deserved.

And who knows, maybe he would see Shelly again someday, and they could reminisce about

the days at the shelter.

In his new home, Kevin, now happily called, Kevin the cat, flourished.

He had his own cozy bed by the window, where he could watch the birds outside.

Ron spent hours playing with him, brushing his fur, and talking to him in a soothing voice.

The days of feeling anxious and defensive were behind him.

He had found his place, and he was happy.

And so, Kevin the cauliflower eard cat, who had waited patiently for four months, finally

found his forever home.

His journey had been long and challenging, but it was worth every moment.

Kevin's story reminds us that even when things seem tough, there is always hope for a better

tomorrow.

And sometimes, all it takes is one special person to change everything.

Thank you for joining us for Community Stories, Jr.

I'm your host, Melissa K.

Join us again next week for more stories from young people in your community.