Much of the learning during an average school day takes place between the opening bell and final dismissal.  But Acalanes High School seniors Luca Fazio and Connor McAndrew have taken learning to the next level.

    The Lafayette duo is the brain trust behind Eleprint Studio, a local nonprofit that partners with local schools and special education programs to turn children’s drawings into custom 3D-printed creations. According to their website, their “team of designers saw how 3D printing could do more than make objects – it could build confidence, spark joy, and turn imagination into something you can hold.”

    Fazio and McAndrew’s venture took root in the summer of 2024 when McAndrew went to the Open Sauce Fair in San Francisco and came upon software that assisted in turning a drawing into a 3D print. After brainstorming, he pitched the idea to Fazio and the concept of Eleprint Studio was born.

    In the period since, they have forged relationships with the special education staff of Acalanes High School and Burton Valley and Springhill elementary schools as well as organizations like Wellspring’s Camp We-Go, SEED Lafayette at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, and Khala Center in Mexico where various 3D projects have been developed. They will be continuing to work with them in the coming school year.

    Kian Kawar, an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at Burton Valley, embraced their offer this past spring to turn an idea for a Mother’s Day keychain gift into reality.

    “Connor and Luca had templates for our students to color. We have a variety of disabilities in our classroom and with this template, everyone colored their own art piece by themselves,” said Kawar, whose students ages 3 to 6 years old attend the special day class. “It was simple yet inclusive. Each one beautifully made.”

    She recalled one student looking at her keychain and saying, “I made that,” with a proud look on her face. Another student, when asked “Do you know who colored that heart?” tapped his chest with pride.

    “That experience was very enjoyable and taught me that small actions have big outcomes,” McAndrew said.

    In middle school, McAndrew chose to take peer tutoring, a class where students with special needs were given one-on-one support. “Throughout the year, I learned that different students expressed themselves in unique ways,” said McAndrew, noting how some students would create images to portray their interests and ideas through artwork.

    Fazio’s connection to these specific learners is more personal: his cousin with Down syndrome loves craftwork, especially nail art. But ultimately, his biggest link to children with disabilities is through his mother, who works at Burton Valley Elementary as a paraeducator. 

    “Coming home, she always described the value of working with children with disabilities, and it resonated with me,” Fazio said.

    When McAndrew came to Fazio with the initial idea of a 3D printing business, he remembered discussing several potential audiences that they could serve. “Children with disabilities were the perfect fit for both of our previous experiences, and I felt that through our shared love of technology, we could bring joy to them,” Fazio said, noting how art is a key form of communication and expression, especially for children with disabilities.

    The two seniors bring a wealth of technology experience in digital design that they have leveraged to support endeavors to grow Eleprint Studio in a short span of time. 

    McAndrew has used Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to make many posters for Eleprint Studio as well as posters used in the Acalanes Art Show. “My experience with related technology has helped me to work on multiple aspects of the nonprofit beyond turning the drawings into 3D prints,” he said.

    Initial knowledge using 3D-modeling software such as Blender, Fusion 360, HueForge, Bambu Studio, and Tinkercad, over time has enabled more efficient techniques for converting images to 3D models.

    Fazio also attended a summer camp where students designed and created several types of 3D models and he worked with numerous programs, some of which are currently used in Eleprint’s process. Experience with a more advanced 3D printer in high school allowed for more detailed prints. Then, when Fazio and McAndrew began brainstorming potential designs, Fazio’s previous knowledge of 3D printing allowed them to develop an efficient process for turning drawings into several types of 3D models. 

    The nonprofit has also exposed them to a lot of back-end organization work that comes along with working for a business, including website management, Google Workspace, social media, and legal organizational filings. 

    “These skills will remain valuable and essential in our desired career paths but also in everyday life activities such as school or other interests,” the seniors said. “We hope to see our nonprofit grow to be able to reach as many students as possible through future collaborations and fundraising.”

    For more information, visit eleprintstudio.org.