UltiMaker Offers $4K Educator Grants, New Nebula AI Platform to Expand 3D Printing in Classrooms
Aiming to expand access to 3D printing for K–12 educators and student, UltiMaker announces grants and new AI-powered Nebula platform.
UltiMaker, a longtime leader in classroom 3D printing through its MakerBot brand, is offering K–12 educators (in the U.S. and Canada only) a new opportunity to bring 3D printing into their classrooms through grants valued at over $4,000 each. The announcement comes alongside the beta launch of MakerBot Nebula, a new AI-powered learning platform designed to support instruction.
Grant applications are now open through makerbot-nebula.com, UltiMaker says, and a minimum of 10 grant recipients will be selected in 2025. According to the company, selection criteria include student impact, financial need, innovation, and readiness to implement 3D printing into the curriculum.
“Access to funding is often the biggest barrier for educators who want to integrate new technologies,” said Dottie Stewart, VP of sales, America & global education strategy at UltiMaker. “These grants give teachers not only the tools but also the training and support to transform their classrooms.”
Teachers have turned to the MakerBot Grant Guide, which has been published annually since 2017, to apply for a wide range of other funding for the purchase of 3D printers and related classroom materials. The online guide is now enhanced through MakerBot Nebula, which uses AI to help teachers write their grant applications. Teachers answer a few questions in the Nebula’s Funding Assistant and receive guidance in drafting strong applications directly on the platform. In beta, only MakerBot Grants will be available, with more opportunities to come.
Each MakerBot grant includes a MakerBot Sketch Sprint 3D printer, 20 spools of PLA filament, a classroom certification program for up to 30 students, and a three-year service plan—comprehensive resources that typically remain out of reach for underfunded schools.
The MakerBot Nebula platform, now in beta testing, is part of UltiMaker’s push to combine artificial intelligence with STEM education. Built on technology developed by Austin-based startup Intellectible, the platform enables UltiMaker to deploy branded AI with informational boundaries that could minimize the risk of misinformation, a common issue with general-purpose AI like ChatGPT.
Nebula’s launch comes at a time when educators — and everyone else — are increasingly exploring AI tools to help personalize instruction and streamline lesson planning.
The beta version of Nebula includes features, such as the Learning Station, which help educators develop essentials, such as how to set up and operate UltiMaker and MakerBot 3D printers.
According to a short video launched to promote the offering, teachers can ask Nebula questions, such as “Can you help me create a lesson plan about the space shuttle?” Nebula can provide a lesson plan, videos, and a rubric. It’s not clear how Nebula results differ from ChatGPT or other AI-generated results or which AI Nebula is based on.
Nebula can also translate lesson materials into Spanish.
UltiMaker says the platform is “currently free” during its beta period, and UltiMaker is encouraging educators to sign up and provide feedback to help shape the product’s future. Features slated to be released soon include a full student dashboard, teacher certification and PD hour tracking, more grant listings and funding support, and expanded learning content such as robotics and CAD.
UltiMaker will showcase both the MakerBot Grants and the Nebula platform at ISTELive 25, the flagship conference of the International Society for Technology in Education, in San Antonio, Texas, June 30–July 2, 2025. Educators can see a demo at booth 755 or attend a poster session on July 2 on using 3D printing to enhance lesson plans.
For more information or to apply for the MakerBot Grants, visit makerbot-nebula.com.
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