In April, PTC Corporation was recognized at Needham High School (NHS) for their $30,000 donation over five years in support of the Da Vinci Workshop. Five years ago, PTC Corporation committed to funding the creation of this innovation space. PTC Corporation has been a strong advocate for STEM education, and their contribution in conjunction with seed money from the Needham Education Foundation have made the Da Vinci Workshop into a maker space that classes and clubs can use for hands-on projects, prototyping, and modern manufacturing. New classes such as the Engineering Design course, the Product Design and Development course, and the Capstone course have been made possible with this space. Clubs such as the Robotics Club, Rocketry Club, and Environmental Club make use of the tools (3D printers, laser cutter, wood shop, electronics lab) to speed up the design process and enhance their learning. Existing classes also use the space for projects such as the Memorial Projects, National History Day Projects, and Kinetic Sculptures.
Attending the ceremony were Bridget Lorentzen and Kevin Ruddy (PTC Corporation), Susan Neckes, Aaron Pressman, and Heidi Black (Needham School Committee), Superintendent Dan Gutekanst, and Hans Batra (NHS teacher). Also present were students from the NHS Robotics Club.
The Robotics Club also thanked PTC for separately funding their robotics teams to participate in the FIRST Tech Challenge competitions.
Although PTC Corporation has recently moved their headquarters from Needham to Boston, they expressed interest in continuing to support the work of the Da Vinci Workshop in the future.
