Anonymous Donor Elevates Faulhaber Fab Lab Through $34,000 Donation

January 11, 2021 – Sarasota

The Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab (SSC) is elated to announce it has received a $34,000 gift from a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Delivered in time for the giving season, the funds helped SSC add a fleet of innovative new 3D printers to the lab. The new equipment includes one Stratasys F170 printer, one Formlabs Form 3 resin printer and four MakerBot Sketch printers. In addition to the equipment, the donation helped outfit each printer with filament, software, training and other accessories.

“We have been longtime supporters of STEM-related programs. Most of our support has been in the form of top-down funding directed at STEM concept development. Results from that type of support tend to be somewhat diluted by bureaucratic overhead with results that are both vaguely defined and long-term in fruition,” shared the donor. “In contrast, bottom-up support for facilities like the SSC Fab Lab is essentially undiluted and can rapidly bring important evermore enlightening tools to the minds and hands of eager learners.”

Thanks to the donor’s investment, Fab Lab members, volunteers and program participants have the opportunity to print with materials and precision not available elsewhere to the public in the Sarasota-Manatee region.

“Inspiring and supporting innovators are at the core of everything we do,” shared SSC Executive Director Ping Faulhaber. “This equipment will be the gift that keeps on giving, providing opportunities for people of all ages to build creativity and technical skills while bringing their ideas to life. It is access and tools like these that help spark a passion for learning.”

The new printers are in place and ready for use. Memberships to access the lab and its equipment are available for individuals, full-time students and businesses. For more information on memberships, visit https://suncoastscience.org/members. To learn about how to access the printers through volunteering or other programs, visit https://suncoastscience.org/use-the-lab.