The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts is proud to announce Engineering the Future: a weekend-long celebration of creativity and ingenuity produced by the Strand and Plattsburgh Robotics. The weekend, April 13-14th consists of three events, challenging participants of all ages and backgrounds to create something truly remarkable! The three events include the ADK Coast 3D Print Sprint: 24-Hour 3D Printing Challenge, Robot Rampage: 24-Hours of Byte-Sized Challenges, and Make it AWESOME: Maker Community Challenge.

“This is a great opportunity to flex that creative muscle and apply it to a STEAM-related project for many ages!” — Dove Phillips, Event Co-Organizer, Plattsburgh Robotics

For the third year in a row, the Strand Center for the Arts is hosting the 24-hour 3D printing challenge ADK Coast 3D Print Sprint. Students, in teams of 2-4, are presented with a challenge to complete in 24 hours while locked in the arts center. The ADK Coast 3D Print Sprint is open to students in 8th grade through college.

“I have had the pleasure of being on-site the past two years for this event and it truly is incredible to see the creativity and ingenuity of these students. I‘m proud we‘re able to host such a unique event for our region here at the Strand and it’s exciting to see this event evolve.” — Megan Charland, Artistic Programming Director

The first Adirondack Coast 3D Print Sprint event was held in spring 2016 at the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum. In 2022, the event moved to the Strand Center for the Arts.

Between the Strand’s growing MakerSpace programming and ongoing commitment to supporting youth in the community, hosting this event was an easy choice. As co-producers of the event, the Strand’s education team has assisted the event organizers in expanding the event to celebrate these students’ creativity.

“Since moving to the Strand, the 3D Print Sprint has flourished. We are seeing more participants and excitement for the event. Being able to focus on the core of the event rather than where to host it each year has allowed us to provide a complete experience and focus on growth and reach.” — Justin Collins, Event Co-Organizer & Co-Owner of Bit Sized Builds

NEW this year is the addition of two events, Robot Rampage: 24-Hours of Byte-Sized Challenges and Make it AWESOME: Maker Community Challenge, expanding upon the success of the well-established 3D Print Sprint. Robot Rampage is open to middle school students in grades 6-8th. Participants will be given a challenge to complete in 24 hours, culminating in a robotics competition. Make it AWESOME: The Maker Community Challenge is a maker community challenge for ages 18+ to create something incredible in response to a prompt. Participants will have 7 days to create their projects to present at the final event on Sunday, April 14.

To learn more about the Engineering the Future weekend events, https://www.strandcenter.org/engineering-the-future