Teacher Professional Development

Middle and high school educators are invited to join the NOVA Fab Lab team for a FREE five-part professional development series focused on understanding digital fabrication software and its application to various makerspace equipment.

Adobe Illustrator and Laser Cutting Concepts

This workshop will introduce the foundations of vector-based design and illustration, specifically for laser cutters. We will use Adobe Illustrator and Universal CO2 laser cutters to create, edit, and process designs for several types of materials. The teaching method will be a follow-along / hands-on approach. An example of how we use these tools for our own Fab Lab workshops will be provided.

TinkerCAD and Introduction to 3D Scanning

This hands-on workshop will introduce 3D scanning and 3D modeling using Ein-Scan 3D scanners and TinkerCAD software. Participants will create a physical model to scan, operate a 3D scanner, and import their models into TinkerCAD. We will demonstrate the essential functions of TinkerCAD and provide an example of how we use these tools for our own Fab Lab workshops.

Slicing with Prusa and 3D Printing Concepts

This workshop will provide a detailed overview of the PRUSA slicing software, including modification options to the 3D model and tips and tricks for optimizing print speed and quality. A variety of 3D print examples will be reviewed to compare variations in print, infill, and support settings.

Design Thinking in the Classroom

Our industry partners have voiced a collective concern that graduates lack the soft skills required for creativity and empathy). Our Design Thinking and fabrication exercises might hold the key to reversing this trend. Design Thinking principles will be practiced, modeled, and discussed in this hands-on workshop. 

These sessions have ended.

This National Science Foundation-sponsored grant program is open to secondary school CTE administrators, teachers, and college/career counselors. The Secondary Externship Program will equip participants to build awareness of the region's Engineering Technology (ET) and Data Center Operations (DCO) careers and the educational pathways NOVA provides to prepare students for these in-demand and high-wage careers.

Secondary Externship Participants will:

• Attend a tour and professional development day at the NOVA Manassas Fab Lab.
• Attend an industry tour focused on engineering technology career opportunities and daily operations.
• Attend a data center tour to explore data center career opportunities and daily operations to keep the world connected.
• Develop a plan to create awareness of and guide students to NOVA's DCO and ET programs.
• Receive a $500 stipend for participation.
• The program runs from mid-March through mid-June.

2024 Program Application is Closed.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored program is open to middle and high school teachers, informal STEM learning professionals, and college faculty. Complex problems require innovative and creative solutions. Design thinking is the key to challenging assumptions and approaching problem-solving collaboratively, interdisciplinarily, and non-linearly.

Design Thinking Fellows Will:

• Complete a 5-day Professional Learning (PL) Institute in the Spring at NOVA's Fab Lab.
• Practice teaching PL topics at a 1-week fabrication summer camp.
• Participate in the Fall Fab Lab Design Challenge.
• Create lesson plans for sharing to digital repository focused on design thinking and digital fabrication.
• Receive a $2,200 stipend for participation.

2024 Program Application is Closed.