For Schools & Camps
Run a real 3D design program. Without hiring for it.
StarStack gives your teachers a complete 3D design and 3D printing curriculum they can run after about two hours of prep, with no CAD background. Students work at their own pace, so one teacher can support a whole room.
We reply within one business day.
The problem
Most schools want a STEAM program. Far fewer can staff one.
Qualified technology teachers are hard to find and expensive to keep — most people with CAD skills go into industry rather than teaching. The programs that do exist often cost thousands and require weeks of teacher training before the first lesson.
The result: only 38.8% of US high school students take any technology course, and just 11.8% take an engineering class. Middle schoolers get even less. Meanwhile 3D printers sit unused in buildings across the country because nobody on staff knows how to run them.
StarStack removes the expertise requirement entirely.
The program
How it works
- 1
Two hours of prep.
Read the Getting Started guide and walk through the first lesson yourself.
- 2
Hand it to your students.
They work through the lessons independently, step by step, at their own speed.
- 3
They print what they design.
Every unit ends with a project they take home.
For teachers
You don’t need to know CAD
Every lesson is written for the student, with short videos at each step. There’s nothing for you to prepare and nothing to lecture.
Teacher resources give you the answers, the common sticking points, and the vocabulary for each lesson — so you can help a stuck student without ever having done it yourself.
At our summer camps, counselors with no 3D design background ran the program from day one.
Hardware
Already have a 3D printer? Use it.
The curriculum works with any 3D printer. If there’s a machine in a closet that nobody has touched since it was bought, this is how it finally gets used.
The package
What’s included
- Units 1–3 of the 3D Design and 3D Printing course — about 12 hours of content
- Teacher resources for every lesson
- Getting Started guide
- Student hardware: bag tag clips, M3 screws and nuts
- Filament: two spools, plus one more for every additional eight students
Optional add-ons: StarStack S1 printer (kit or assembled), calipers
Fit
Who it’s for
Grades 4–10. Classrooms, electives, after-school programs, summer camps, libraries and makerspaces.
Minimum 10 students. About 12 hours of content — enough for a semester elective, a full week of camp, or a term-long club.
Curriculum
Standards alignment
Every lesson is mapped to ISTE Standards for Students (1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) and the K–12 Computer Science Framework practices: Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems, Developing and Using Abstractions, Creating Computational Artifacts, and Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts.
Full lesson-by-lesson alignment available on request.
Cost
Pricing
Programs start at $30 per student, materials included. Additional students are added at a per-student rate, with volume discounts at 50 and 100 students. Printers are optional.
We quote every program so we can match it to your class size, your schedule, and whether you already have printers.
Questions
FAQ
Does the teacher need 3D design experience?
No. The lessons teach the students directly. Teacher resources cover the answers and common sticking points so you can help without prior CAD knowledge.
What 3D printers does this work with?
Any of them. Schools with existing equipment can start right away.
How long does the program take?
About 12 hours across three units. Most schools run it as a semester elective or a term-long club; camps run it across a week.
What ages is it for?
Grades 4 through 10.
What devices do students need?
Onshape runs in any web browser, including on Chromebooks. Orca Slicer, which prepares files for printing, is a desktop application for Windows, Mac or Linux. If your students are on Chromebooks they’ll still learn how slicing works — the teacher handles the actual slicing step on a desktop machine. If you have a computer lab, students do the whole workflow themselves.
Can we see it before we buy?
Yes. The first two lessons of Unit 1 are free — no payment details, just sign up and start. We’ll also run a live demo or a pilot with your class if you’d like one. Just ask.