You might think we're nuts...

...and you might be right.  

On top of all the craziness in our lives, I had signed Ryan and myself up to host a summer camp for teens at MOCA.  When I agreed, six months ago, to take a week off work and do this I had no idea that August would be as insanely busy as it's turned out to be.  But, we made a commitment and so a commitment we kept.  

The summer camp was all about Stereo Lithography.  That's the technical term for 3D printing.  We started our prep by upgrading all the Mac's in the lab (I'm not a Mac person, so there was a bit of fumbling in the dark for this part) to be able to install the 3D modeling software the kids would be using to create their art pieces.  By the end of the day on Monday, we'd managed to get enough computers upgraded so everyone could work independently.  Ryan and I brought in the 3D printer that we'd built from a kit back last December and luckily it performed flawlessly.  I had a general game plan for the week to start them off with a simple object first.  Print those first pieces by Tuesday and then tackle more complex ideas as the week went on.

These kids, all teens (12-16 or there about) each came with a different skill levels and experience working with 3D tools.   But all came chock full of creativity.  I was amazed by what these young artists were able to produce by the end of the week.  

Objects designed and created during 3D modeling Camp at Va MOCA, 2016.  ©2016 Images by Design

If this is what the generation after the "millennials" is really like, I have new hope for the future of America.  I witnessed ingenuity, teamwork, leadership, craftsmanship, humor, and most importantly, a group of kids that evolved from perfect strangers to friends by the time they headed out on Friday afternoon.