What do color-changing slime and 3D-printed rings have to do with careers in manufacturing? Both were part of the fun and engaging activities shared with attendees at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference to demonstrate the possibilities of science and technology opportunities in industry.
In late March, representatives from the Manufacturing USA network gathered at the 2025 NSTA National Conference in Philadelphia, PA, to foster constructive conversations with technical training providers and administrators from across the country. The Manufacturing USA team connected institutes and industry partners to career and technical education (CTE) programs through a booth display and two interactive sessions led by the institutes.
“This event allowed me to connect with teachers of all levels, celebrate their wins, and learn more about the challenges they face and how collaboration with America Makes can enhance their student experience,” Emily Young, Education and Workforce Development Project Engineer from America Makes/The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining said.
Her first time attending the bi-annual conference, Young set up a 3D printer at the Manufacturing USA booth and guided participants through the process of making their own customizable 3D-printed rings to give them a sense of additive manufacturing opportunities. This activity also gave conference-goers time to step aside from the busy conference floor, learn more about Manufacturing USA’s mission, and dive into the 18 institutes to see which programs could be a fit for their classrooms. Along with other resources, attendees learned about Manufacturing USA’s EWD Connect portal.
The team’s first conference session focusing on Career Pathways in Advanced Manufacturing, included hands-on demonstrations of job and fellowship connections from ARM Institute’s roboticscareers.org, IACMI’s InnoCrate kit programs, and BioFabUSA’s efforts to introduce future workers to biofabrication manufacturing. Attendees practiced their pipette accuracy skills and created color-changing slime through interactive experiments they could later bring back to their classrooms.
The Manufacturing USA network’s second session highlighted Empowering Next-Gen Entrepreneurs with Turnkey Experiential Programs, which covered ready-made programs from each of the 18 institutes, all designed to empower the next generation of science and engineering entrepreneurs. Many of the panel attendees were educators who previously visited the Manufacturing USA booth and were hoping to gain a better understanding of the network’s efforts to boost advanced manufacturing workforce development and encourage students interested in science and engineering.
In the next few months, the Manufacturing USA network will participate in the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta from June 23 to 27, and NSF’s HI-TEC Conference in Minneapolis from July 21 to 24. The team is looking forward to sharing information about advanced manufacturing opportunities with these audiences. To learn more about upcoming events, please visit our Events page.