In our never ending quest to find ways to continue to support this open-source, grassroots collaborative project, this website and our global e-NABLE Community of volunteers – we are working hard to create fund raising opportunities that will allow us to keep expanding our global reach and making a bigger impact on lives of those who reach out to us for aid in creating their own 3D printable devices or help in making one for someone else!
We now have a variety of ways in which our followers and supporters can help provide assistance – from donating gift cards for our e-NABLE Chapters to use to create free 3D printed devices for those in need of a “helping hand” – to purchasing hand made items in our e-NABLE Shop, making a donation directly to an e-NABLE Chapter in need, purchasing a t-shirt from our USA or Europe based tee-spring campaigns or making a donation to help cover the costs of upkeep and behind the scenes work being done on the enablingthefuture.org website. Every little bit helps!
Over the next few months, you will begin to see some of the fruits of our labor shared here and will begin to see just how much work is being done behind the scenes to make this e-NABLE Community grow stronger and create a much bigger impact on the world than ever before. We are about so much more than 3D printed hands!
In 2017 you will see:
• The announcement of a brand new design challenge that will take you in a completely different direction than you imagined you would go through this project – as enablingthefuture.org once again teams up with Matterhackers to explore the power of ideas and a global community of change makers who are eager to make a difference in the lives of others.
Our “Within Reach” design challenge for creating 3D printable assistive tools for those who still have fingers but lack function due to disease, stroke or nerve damage and other ailments, resulted in over 200 entries and new open-source tools for those in need. We are excited to partner again with a completely new challenge to see just what this design community is capable of and we have no doubt that you will show us exactly what you’ve got!
Look for the contest to kick off mid-March and expect classrooms all over the world to participate and show us just what these young minds and imaginations can do! Sign up for email subscriptions to this blog to make sure you don’t miss it!
• The official release of months worth of work on a new digital badging system that will allow you to share your contributions, achievements and gifts to the community on your social media pages and linkedin profiles, challenge yourselves to try new skills, get more teachers and students engaged in the e-NABLE project and give us an opportunity to thank our hard working volunteers, supporters and sponsors for their generosity and gifts.
• Fun educational games and activities for k-12 classrooms and homeschool students that will allow them to earn digital badges and give an opportunity for students who do not have access to a 3D printer to participate in this growing movement!
• More e-NABLE Chapters forming all over the globe! (If you are interested in creating your own chapter in your area – please visit our Chapters page!)
We are working on much, much more, but we need your help to keep us moving forward in the right direction!
Your purchases from our USA Based and Europe based t-shirt campaign shops and our online store – will go toward helping to fund the development of these new programs and provide much needed materials to our e-NABLE Chapters who are struggling to keep up with the ever increasing requests for 3D printed hands and arms, assistive tools and more.
Thank you for helping us to continue to “Enable The Future” of recipients, families and many more!
Ways you can help!
• Check out our t-shirt designs that ship from the USA.
• View our designs that ship from Europe
• Visit our e-NABLE Store for hand made jewelry and more.
• Make a donation to support a local e-NABLE Chapter.
• Purchase a gift card to help provide filament to our e-NABLE Chapters in need.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
• If you are a company or business/organization that might be interested in becoming a sponsor for a potential e-NABLE Conference in 2017, donating a venue, services, materials and machines to the global Community, please email me at jen.owen.enablevolunteer@gmail.com!
• If you know about grants or funding opportunities that may help provide assistance to the work we are doing, please let us know!
• If you have ideas for fundraisers and would like to help raise money for a chapter in need or other e-NABLE related activities, please reach out!
Please Share! The more people know about us, the more volunteers we will get and the more people will be helped!
We are a global village of change makers and your support means the world to us!