BNY Mellon Mobile Fab Lab

At Carnegie Museums, we are committed to the safety of our staff, visitors, and outreach program participants. Please review our In-Person Outreach Program Safety Standards for information about booking a Mobile Fab Lab program at your location.

Carnegie Science Center’s BNY Mellon Mobile Fab Lab brings in-depth digital fabrication to your school. Using 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, a Shop Bot, and more, the mobile maker space gives students the opportunity to experience the STEM-based maker movement, taking their designs from computer screens to robotic machines. From conception to fabrication, students learn how to turn “bits” into “its.” Each three-day-or-more Mobile Fab Lab experience includes teacher professional development, at no additional cost.

New for 2021: Virtual Fab Lab classes! Learn more about bringing maker education to your students. Contact Mobile Fab Lab Education Coordinator Ben Kusserow at 412.802.2147 to book your virtual program.

To help align your visit with scheduling and curriculum goals, Mobile Fab Lab programming is offered in three different styles:

• Project workshops can be run in 90-minute or longer sessions, for 16 participants at a time. Fab Lab education facilitators will lead groups through digital design using 2D or 3D software and where students learn how the computer-controlled machine works while fabricating their unique projects. Projects can be tailored to individual curriculum needs.
• Our engineering challenge can engage up to 30 participants at a time. Students work in teams to design, prototype, and test projects. These two-hour or longer challenges are designed to use basic making materials as well as digital fabrication machines so that teams are introduced to the software and hardware capabilities of the Mobile Fab Lab.
• Flagship programs utilize the Mobile Fab Lab for small group, multi-day and multi-machine projects. The hosting location can work closely with the Fab Lab Mobile Education Coordinator to create a project that has an impact beyond the classroom, into the school and local community. Time requirements and group size will vary depending on the project.

NEW Engineering Challenge: 3D Printing the Entertainment of Tomorrow — Bring an animation to life with 3D printing! Students will discover how animators at Pixar and Dreamworks use 3D printing to make their animations more realistic. After learning foundational 3D modeling and printing skills, students will produce their own unique 3D prints and animations! 16 students maximum per three-hour course.

Fab Lab is appropriate for grades 3 and up and relates to these content themes: Engineering, design, advanced manufacturing, rapid prototyping.

Space and setup requirements: Equipment is unloaded off of the Mobile Fab Lab and a maker space is set up at the hosting location in a classroom-sized or larger space, for the duration of the visit. If such a space is unavailable, participants can utilize the Mobile Fab Lab itself. Setup and teardown requires up to two hours at the beginning and end of the engagement.

With questions and to book the Mobile Fab Lab, contact Mobile Fab Lab Education Coordinator Ben Kusserow at KusserowB@CarnegieScienceCenter.org or 412.802.2147.

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