Tri-County Upward Bound students build 3D-printed infinity city at APSU’s MTI camp
(Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2022)
Each summer, Tri-County Upward Bound students from Houston, Cheatham and Stewart counties move into residence halls at Austin Peay State University for a six-week residential experience.
The students take classes in math, lab science, literature and writing and take weekly field trips. Through a Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, some of the students also took a class in 3D printing.
Over five weeks in June and July, the students learned the 3D printing skills they needed to construct an infinite city – a block of LED-illuminated buildings set in a mirrored box, creating the illusion of an endless cyberpunk city.
“This isn’t based on anything I saw – I actually couldn’t find many reference photos for a four-way infinite hypercube like this,” said Blue Tinsley, an Austin Peay English student who with his mastery of 3D printing stepped up to help teach the class. “But I was trying to come up with a project each of these students could use, and I wanted to use our belt printer.
“By the end of class, they’re going to be pretty good at using 3D printers – knowing how the supports work and how the filament and material works,” he added.
Tinsley led the last four weeks of class after Mason Cordell, GIS systems engineer at Austin Peay’s GIS Center, taught 3D basics during the first week.
“I taught them the basics and some of the common vocabulary used in the industry, so they’ll be poised to focus more on the modeling aspect of 3D printing,” Cordell said.
In the first week, students already were printing Christmas ornaments and miniatures for their Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.
And by the end of Week 5, they unveiled their futuristic city during a class-ending ceremony on July 8. Tinsley surprised the students by detaching their buildings from the city block and letting them take the structures home.
A glimpse into the future
Bo Hall, an incoming senior at Cheatham County Central High School, has been participating in Tri-County Upward Bound since his freshman year. He wants to study business and psychology in college.
“I’m working on Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated (from the Disney show “Phineas and Ferb), and it’s kind of challenging because the building is sloped on three of the four sides, and you have to get the lines going down these sides,” he said. “It’s challenging, but it’s fun.”
Nevaeh McMinnis, an incoming senior at Stewart County High School, said classes like the 3D printing course and the Tri-County Upward Bound program do more than prepare students for college.
“I don’t think I would be where I am now without this program,” she said. “These people (in Upward Bound) are the most understanding people I’ve ever met. They understand everything. They listen to you. They care.
“I was going through a lot, and this program has pulled me up and showed me that I have a future,” said McMinnis, who wants to be a K-5 teacher after college.
Abigail Provost, a homeschooled senior in Stewart County who wants to be a psychiatrist, agreed with McMinnis. The two met each other through Tri-County Upward Bound.
“It’s not like regular school,” she said. “It’s open and free. Classes like this are fun, all the way around.”
Hannah Bush, an incoming senior at Houston County High School, said the 3D printing class was the most fun that she has ever had in a class, especially because of the creative freedom Tinsley gave the students to build their projects.
“He makes suggestions, but you can have fun with it and do it yourself,” she said.
Bush plans to be a veterinarian after college.
“I’m going to be in school for a long time after high school,” she said. “So (this program) is going to help either way. It’s going to look good on a college application.”
A Bridge to Work
The 3D printing class represented Austin Peay’s role in the Bridge to Work program, a partnership with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Dickson and Clarksville and Nashville State Community College. Austin Peay’s role is to provide industrial manufacturing skills to participating students in the Manufacturing Technology Institute, the official name for the five-week 3D printing class.
Austin Peay used some of the GIVE grant money to buy 3D printers for the class. Later this summer, APSU will donate the printers to each of the three school systems that participate in Tri-County Upward Bound. Austin Peay also will host a teacher training workshop to prepare teachers to use 3D printers in their classrooms. Along with giving the 3D printers to the schools, APSU will also provide ample 3D printer supplies, allowing the schools to use the 3D printers for years to come.
In the class, the students learn basic coding needed for 3D printing and leadership, math and communication skills, said Dr. Chad Brooks, associate provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies. The students also earn a 3D printing certificate and an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certificate.
“Upward Bound allows the students to stay on campus and have other wonderful experiences,” Brooks said. “Upward Bound is focused on getting kids into college while MTI camp is skill training for anything that may include college or they could apply for well-paying jobs at LG, Hankook, Bridgestone, etc. But I am most excited about the stories these students will tell their friends and families back in their schools and hometowns. Excitement about learning is a wonderful gift for anyone.”
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