Tinkerine U initiative gives teachers and students the ability for the first time to leverage the power of 3D printing across the curriculum in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subjects

VANCOUVER, July 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Tinkerine Studios Ltd. (TSXV: TTD) Canada's leading manufacturer and distributor of 3D printers, today announced the launch of Tinkerine U, an educational initiative to bring 3D printing curriculum to every school in North America. The company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Brandt to the position of Managing Director of Tinkerine U.

Tinkerine CEO Eugene Suyu commented, "We are very excited about the appointment of Kevin to the role of Managing Director of Tinkerine U. He brings more than 20 years of experience as a proven educator, administrator of one of the largest and most progressive public online schools, and most recently the Director of Instruction of one the largest school districts in Canada."

Tinkerine U is being developed in partnership with Ready Labs Inc., an Ed Tech content provider and technology company co-founded with Simon Fraser University. The Tinkerine U platform delivers highly targeted and unique online 3D printing focused educational content designed to give teachers in STEAM courses, a detailed curriculum to introduce students to designing, prototyping, and manufacturing using 3D printing technology. The curriculum will be available in Canada, select US school districts, and then internationally.

Tinkerine U is a comprehensive educational platform for teachers and students, that includes online courses, lesson plans, an educational 3D model library, and extracurricular content for students, and community engagement. Tinkerine U will be Canada's first 3D-focused online course aimed at arming both students and teachers with the necessary skills and teaching tools for the new economy.  

Tinkerine is targeting a significant sector of the North American economy that spends more than $1.2 trillion per year on educating students, a central component of its business development plan.

"We know that 3D printing in the classroom is the centerpiece to a comprehensive active learning approach, where students learn the problem solving skills to become the leaders of the future," commented Kevin Brandt. "As a company, Tinkerine remains committed to making 3D printing affordable and accessible to schools, teachers, and students anywhere in the world. Now with Tinkerine U, we can ensure that these powerful technologies are also actually useful in every classroom, and don't just gather dust."

Tinkerine is dedicated to supporting schools, teachers and students. To this end we are excited to provide educational packages that include discounts, giving institutions and students greater access to our technology. Please visit us at www.TinkerineU.com and register to get involved in this exciting movement in global education.

"Ready Labs' collaboration with Tinkerine in this educational initiative reflects Simon Fraser University's mission of "Engaging Students, Engaging Research, and Engaging Communities" through cutting edge technology, research, and community engagement." said SFU Vice President Research Dr. B. Mario Pinto. Ready Labs' commitment to high quality interactive educational content design and delivery leverages more than 10 years of online learning and application development expertise.

Mr. Brandt's terms of employment include the ability to earn common shares upon meeting business development and 3D printer unit sales targets over a two year period, subject to TSXV approval.   

About Tinkerine

Tinkerine develops, manufactures, distributes and sells 3D printers, software and materials for the consumer and education markets, the fastest growing segments of 3D printing. Current products include the recently released DittoPro, the award-winning Ditto+ and Litto 3D printers, all acclaimed for their high performance and affordability. Tinkerine's 3D printers work seamlessly with its integrated 3D software to make printing intuitive and accessible to anyone.  With a major focus on education, Tinkerine continues to position itself as one of the emerging leaders in the 3D printer market both in North America and abroad.

Tinkerine shares are listed on the TSXV, under the symbol TTD.V and TKSTF on the OTCPink.

Contact:

Kevin Brandt,
Managing Director of Tinkerine U
Email Contact
604-788-3299

About Ready Labs Inc.

Ready Labs Inc. is a Simon Fraser University spinout company accelerating next generation mobile and web innovation for educational, cultural and commercial market applications. Ready Labs Inc. is a partner of the SNF New Media Lab, a world-class new media initiative of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University. Ready Labs' principals and key developers are experts in education technology platform development.

Contact:

Costa Dedegikas
Director, Ready Labs, Inc.
cdedegikas@readylabs.ca
604-780-9487  

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. Tinkerine is hereby providing cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements with respect to the timing of the launch of the Tinkerine U curriculum across Canada, the United States and internationally; Tinkerine's aim to position itself as one of the emerging leaders in the 3D printing market; Tinkerine's aim to launch the Tinkerine's aim to bring 3D printing into every school in North America; and statements regarding the benefits teachers and students may derive from working with the Tinkerine U curriculum. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes may not occur or may be delayed. The risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results include, but are not limited to: limited operating history; risks related to intellectual property involved in the production of Tinkerine's 3D printers or with respect to the Tinkerine U curriculum; a failure of educational institutions to accept, or be willing to implement, the Tinkerine U curriculum; competition risks; exposure to potential litigation; and other factors beyond the control of Tinkerine.

SOURCE Tinkerine Studios Ltd.