NMC Community,
I want to share with the NMC community an exciting update on the Pitch for the Trades Competition. You may have heard bits and pieces of this story during the October 10th Professional Development Day, but I’d like to fill you in on the details.
Our NMC Construction Technology program was selected as a finalist for the NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship) Pitch for the Trades competition – with a chance to share part of a $150,000 grand prize! NMC’s Construction Technology Program, led by Carolyn Andrews, Construction Coordinator, is pitching the idea of adding 3D home printing technologies to the curriculum. Yes, the future is here, and 3D printed houses will have a role in the future of home construction. From small workforce neighborhoods to unique custom homes, 3D printed homes and communities are beginning to expand, and our local industry partners are taking notice.
Will Kitchen, from NMC’s Office of Possibilities (OOPS), identified the NAACE pitch opportunity, and Carolyn and Dan Goodchild quickly jumped in realizing this was a way to innovate the Construction program and be on the forefront of a new technology. Teaming up with Al Everett (developer and Principal of Thrive TC) and Lauren Tucker (Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area), they created a pitch. Their pitch was to deliver on the potential for 3D printing in our Construction curriculum, and a way forward for prototyping an actual 3D printed house here in Traverse City.
After successfully pitching along with 19 other semi-finalists, earlier this month, the team was one of just six teams selected to move on to the finals on Monday, October 30th. While there is no virtual option to watch, the entire NMC community will be cheering them on. No matter what the results, we are incredibly proud of Carolyn, Will, and Dan for taking the risk of trying something new and looking towards the future – a future where 3D printing of homes becomes the norm. A special thanks for the support provided by OOPS and the encouragement from partners like Lauren Tucker and the Home Builders Association.
Please join me in wishing them luck with the pitch! Go Hawk Owls!
Nick
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Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
