Digital Harbor Foundation’s latest initiative aims to reach all 50 states

It’s the National Week of Making, which meant the president put a spotlight on the maker movement. On Friday, Baltimore was well-represented at the kickoff event at the White House.

Baltimore #NationOfMakers represent! @WhiteHouse #WHChamps @GretchenLeGrand @OpenWorksBmore pic.twitter.com/e3jGPrcR03

— Code in the Schools (@CodeintheSchool) June 17, 2016

Of course, the city’s maker movement is already represented at the White House every day by former Digital Harbor Foundation Executive Director Andrew Coy. (He’s front and center below.)

50 Makers. 50 states. Celebrating a #NationofMakers at WH this week! pic.twitter.com/BXJv708io2

— White House OSTP 44 (@WHOSTP44) June 20, 2016

For DHF itself, the event is just the beginning of a new access-focused program that extends to all 50 states.
As part of a slew of announcements that kicked off the week on Friday, the Federal Hill-based tech education nonprofit announced a new partnership with Printrbot, MatterHackers and BuildTak.
The Innovation Access Program is committing to provide one educator from each state a 3D printer and training in how to use and teach it. It’s an extension of DHF’s model to show other educators how to teach with 3D printing, and another sign of the homegrown organization’s national influence.
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The schedule and location of each training will largely be based on interest, said current DHF Executive Director Shawn Grimes. But the organization is preparing to dispatch field trainers.
“We try to find a concentration of interested educators and send a team to a location central to them for a workshop,” he said.