School kids are doing amazing things with 3D printing, from making a prosthetic arm for a needy child to helping their own school save money.

Yet for many cash-strapped schools, the expense of a 3D printer is just too much. Now, one contest is helping bridge the gap by offering students the chance to vie for a 3D printer by answering an essay question.

The winners of the K-12 grant program will earn a $5,000 grant and a Stratasys Mojo 3D printer to help get their 3D printing lab off the ground.

A member of the Stratays team explained why running a contest for schoolkids was so important.

“When classrooms add 3D Printing to their learning environment, innovation comes to life. The ability to turn your ideas into a physical model allows for a student to truly evaluate and make design iterations. True project-based learning and applied knowledge at a younger age is impacting students’ interest in the STEM fields and that is a highly desired outcome,” Jesse Roitenberg, North American Education Manager at Stratasys explained. “We are so excited to be partnering with Campus Technology and THE Journal to bring a 3D printer to a deserving classroom.”

To enter, students need to watch a video (see above) and then answer the question “What would a 3D printer mean for your school or district?”

Full details of the contest, which ends on September 30, can be found here.