Durham, NC — ShopBot Tools, a respected leader in digital design and fabrication tools, has launched "Digital Fab Tools for Schools," a special promotion supporting the wider availability of digital fabrication technology and curricula in high schools and middle schools in collaboration with Autodesk, Inc. Using digital fabrication tools helps teachers incorporate hands-on "making" to successfully teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and other subjects.

With the generous support of Autodesk, a leader in cloud-based design and engineering software, this ShopBot promotion will provide interested teachers and educators with a voucher worth $2,500 toward the purchase of a limited number of ShopBot Desktop CNC tools, together with ShopBot’s training and support, and a free* copy of Autodesk 123D Design software. The Autodesk 123D Design software is a 3D modeling tool that allows users to create a digital model and then 3D print or fabricate their idea.

These vouchers are only available to teachers and other educators, who sign up to purchase these CNC tools from ShopBot at 100kSchools.org. A total of fifty ShopBot Desktops have been set aside for qualifying teachers and educators in the U.S. on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Ted Hall, Founder and CEO of ShopBot, explained, "Along with the Desktop tool and Autodesk 123D Design software, we'll be providing special projects and tutorials for teachers at 100kSchools.org to help them get up to speed with digital fabrication, and its empowering capability to teach STEM, arts and other subjects. Our education customers continually report that students make real progress in math and science by making projects. "

“We’re excited to partner with ShopBot in bringing digital fabrication tools into more schools to provide a fun, hands-on learning experience,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products, Autodesk. “We believe everyone is creative and the Autodesk 123D Design app is a great fit for students, designers, and anyone with the urge to make.”

The "Digital Fab Tools for Schools" Vouchers are only available at 100kSchools.org. One of the benefits of the program is free access to the growing digital fabrication teachers' community of 100kSchools.org. This resource houses free classroom projects, curricula, and forums for teachers. And with its "Buddy" (teachers helping teachers) community, 100kSchools.org will help connect the growing number of educators who are incorporating digital fabrication into their STEM, vocational, arts, and entrepreneurial programs.

*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license and services agreement that accompanies the software.

About Autodesk:

Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in professional and personal 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Autodesk tools help unlock the creativity in everyone, from children and hobbyists to design and engineering professionals. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, digital art and entertainment industries, including the last 17 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects, use Autodesk software, mobile apps, cloud services and communities to design, visualize, simulate and communicate their ideas. For more information follow @autodesk or visit autodesk.com.

About ShopBot:

Founded in 1996 and based in Durham, NC, the unique mission of ShopBot Tools is to make the empowering technology of digital fabrication widely accessible and usable. ShopBot's subtractive digital fabrication tools (also known as CNC routers), working across a range of sizes, deliver the power, precision and reliability of digital tools traditionally costing thousands of dollars more.

With almost 7000 tools at work around the world, ShopBot Tools, Inc., is one of the largest producers of digital fabrication equipment for small-to-midsized manufacturing, DIY, and education markets. All ShopBots are designed and built in ShopBot's Durham headquarters.

In 2008, ShopBot was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America and was recently named one of the top-25 North Carolina companies to watch by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.

Source: ShopBot Tools