Juice Works 3D was founded by Andrei Dacko after winning a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams STEM product-design grant with a group of his former high school students in 2009. This ignited Andrei’s desire to make design-based learning, through 3D digital making, accessible to kids everywhere. In so doing, kids will unleash their creative and inventive capacity (aka “Juice”) in ways that they and their communities never dreamed of.
Since its inception in 2019, and with the help of its partners, Juice Works 3D has reached hundreds of students in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond with its digital making skills programs and continues to serve students from all backgrounds in both urban and rural settings. Their core philosophy has always been to encourage young “makers” to learn and thrive in an unconventional and supportive learning environment. “It is a neurodivergent paradise” says Andrei. Kids are empowered to bring their unique gifts to the table to learn, make, and design side-by-side with their tribe.
As of January 2024, Juice Works 3D has moved into its headquarters “The Juice Box” within the Manufactory Collective located at 1157 S. High Street, Harrisonburg, VA, 22801. The founding team is very excited to be able to expand their programming to include after school Academy classes for public and homeschooled students, “Open Tinker” Saturdays for everyone to come in and create, as well as hosting Make & Cake birthday parties in our amazing space. All this with the goal to empower future generations of self-actualized thinkers, makers, inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs capable of developing solutions that do good. Come say “Hi!” to the team, explore the space, and learn how to use 3D printers, CNC mills, robots, and more!
