A University of Nottingham-led project aims to bring 3D design and printing into hospital education in England, giving children and young people in specialist schools or long hospital stays more hands-on access to STEM subjects.
The work is backed by a Royal Society Science Community Grant and the Julia Rausing Trust. It is being delivered with the National Association for Hospital Education (NAHE), with engineers and scientists from universities across the country helping to train school staff to run practical projects.
Printers and training for initial schools
An initial 25 schools will receive a 3D printer and take part in a national training programme led by Nottingham with support from local partner universities. The programme will run across a term through coordinated sessions built around user-centred design and will culminate in a showcase event.
Students will be invited to draw inspiration from their surroundings and identify product designs that could work better for them. That approach places printing inside a practical design process rather than treating it as a standalone demonstration.
Addressing a gap in hospital education
Professor Ruth Goodridge, who is leading the project, said that young people with complex health needs who are in hospital for long periods or attend specialist schools often miss the kind of practical STEM enrichment their peers can take for granted. The project is intended to address that gap by offering 3D design and printing activities meant to broaden horizons, build confidence and develop useful skills for the future.
Goodridge said hospital school staff report that illness can make a child’s world feel small, with disrupted education, anxiety and low confidence often affecting engagement with learning. She added that 3D printing offers an accessible and rewarding way for students to develop new skills, solve problems and create something tangible, providing a sense of achievement when many aspects of their lives feel beyond their control.
For many of the young people involved, she said, the value is not only learning new skills but also seeing new possibilities for their future.
Rehabilitation link and sector support
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre for Rehabilitation, led by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, is partnering with the project to explore how 3D printing technologies could contribute to children’s rehabilitation and recovery following serious illness or injury.
Stephen Deadman of NAHE said the project will provide vital skills for children unable to access traditional school and give them valuable hands-on experience with specialist equipment. He also pointed to the additional benefits of working together within and between schools, bringing a sense of community and shared achievement.
Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, said schools are where most people first encounter science. He argued that practical science helps students experience the scientific process, evaluate evidence, understand uncertainty and appreciate how science helps people understand and improve the world. The Royal Society wants all students to experience and be inspired by science; in his view, embedding more practical work in schools is an important step toward building future scientists and innovators and equipping people with the scientific literacy needed to be successful citizens.