12th Anniversary of SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition
SME, the nonprofit committed to building and expanding North America’s talent and capabilities and accelerating advanced manufacturing technologies, and global additive manufacturing leader Stratasys, announced the winners of their cosponsored 2025 Additive Manufacturing Competition, conducted as part of the 61th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held in Atlanta June 23-27. The competition was supported this year by partners Autodesk, SolidWorks, UltiMaker, Printed Solid, and Allegheny Educational Systems.
First debuted in 2013 by SME and Stratasys, the contest both educates high school and post-secondary students about additive manufacturing technologies and design, plus provides them with real-world, hands-on experience that they can apply to a commercial product. This year, teams from three middle schools, 34 high schools, and 13 post-secondary schools totaling 100 students from 39 states competed to win. Nearly 500 parts were printed during the three-day competition, all on Stratasys 3D printers.
“This competition is an extraordinary example of how hands-on experiences can ignite a student’s passion for advanced manufacturing,” said Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation. “Through our partnership with Stratasys at SkillsUSA, we are introducing students to cutting-edge tools and real-world challenges in manufacturing. We’re not just building technical skills—we’re empowering the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators who will shape the future of the industry. We are grateful to all our partners who help make this experience possible for students nationwide.”
This year was the first competition for middle school students, after a successful mini competition was piloted last year. Introducing students to additive manufacturing at a young age inspires them to consider an education or career in manufacturing.
The 2025 competition challenged students to use additive manufacturing to design and prototype the next generation of electric vehicles. Teams were tasked with integrating electrical components into functional vehicle designs that reflect the future of sustainable transportation. Using the flexibility of 3D printing, students applied innovative design principles to create lightweight structures, incorporate complex geometries, and prototype energy-efficient features. The challenge encouraged participants to think beyond traditional design boundaries and demonstrate how additive manufacturing can be used to conceptualize, manufacture, and optimize electric vehicles. Each team documented their process in an engineering design notebook and presented their printed vehicle to the judges.
Winning teams at the high school and post-secondary levels were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals from SkillsUSA, along with scholarships of $1,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively, from the SME Education Foundation. These teams also received a one-year subscription to Tooling U-SME’s online learning platform. Gold and silver medal-winning teams at both levels were awarded professional-grade Prusa MK3S 3D printer kits, while bronze medal-winning teams received mini 3D printers, all generously donated by Printed Solid. In addition, each team received a one-year SME membership. Post-secondary winners were also granted full-conference passes to RAPID + TCT 2025.
The gold medal-winning middle school team received UltiMaker Sketch 3D printers, while all middle school medalists received SME memberships and other prizes. Every student who participated in the competition also received a gift bag filled with items related to additive manufacturing.
Middle School Winners
- Gold Team: Alfred Lyon & Ishaan Sarker, Sleepy Hill Middle School (Lakeland, FL)
- Silver Team: Logan Cowger & Shane Lynch, Peotone Junior High School (Peotone, IL)
- Bronze Team: Delilah Sales & Nolan Thibodeaux, Nellie N Coffman Middle School (Cathedral City, CA)
High School Winners
- Gold Team: Ayden Fajardo & Maxwell Lopez, Gloucester County Institute of Technology (Sewell, NJ)
- Silver Team: Brian Bang & Kyan Dunn, Career Tech High School (George, UT)
- Bronze Team: Jaydon Leonard & Baydon Stanley – Davie High School (Mocksville, NC)
Post-Secondary Winners
- Gold Team: Justin Davis & Jason Hursh, Calhoun Community College (Decatur, AL)
- Silver Team: Will Schofield & Braxton Todd, Utah Valley University (Orem, UT)
- Bronze Team: Jorge Martinez & Autumn Sereno, Texas State Tech College—Marshall (Marshall, TX)
“Stratasys is extremely proud to continue and enhance our partnership with SME by supporting this phenomenal competition. We at Stratasys and SME are investing in the future of Additive Manufacturing by being so deeply involved with this competition,” said Jesse Roitenberg, Americas Education Manager at Stratasys. “Every year, I’m more and more impressed by the creativity, technical skill, and fresh thinking these students bring to the table. Seeing how they take on complex challenges with innovative solutions is a powerful reminder of the talent and passion driving the next generation of manufacturing professionals.”
In addition to the additive manufacturing competition, 94 students took the Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals Certification Exam. The exam was administered to all students free of charge and was included as a percentage of the total points for each competing team. This exam is a certification validating an individual’s knowledge of industry-standard concepts in additive manufacturing, based on revisions to the Additive Manufacturing Body of Knowledge by the Additive Manufacturing Leadership Initiative (AMLI) in 2016. 62 students of the 93 in attendance passed the exam (67% pass rate). The SME Education Foundation prepared every student with a bundle of 20 Tooling U-SME classes (a value of nearly $400 per student) in advance of taking the exam.
“Each year, we see the bar raised in terms of creativity, collaboration, and technical skills,” said Sandy Wilton, program manager of student engagement at the SME Education Foundation. “This competition gives students a chance to think critically, push their limits, and gain the confidence to pursue careers in manufacturing. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of their journey, and we couldn’t do it without the support and commitment of our partners.”
“It’s incredibly rewarding for SolidWorks to support a competition that sparks curiosity and creativity in students at such a formative stage,” said Ryan Koehler, Technical Sales Manager at SolidWorks. “Introducing young learners to additive manufacturing not only helps them develop valuable technical skills—it opens their eyes to the exciting possibilities within modern engineering and design. We’re proud to play a role in shaping the next generation of innovators and makers.”
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