Mobile Makerspace creating a passion for learning, tinkering, building and experimenting
Rick Green has made Mobile Makerspace a place where people serious about creating can learn, share knowledge, hone their skills and find the tools they need. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)
Rick Green once had tools in his garage, and the rest was history.
He began making things with his friends, but soon ran out of space after four to five people were showing up on a regular basis. He got the idea of starting a nonprofit and sharing common working space and tools.
The result: Mobile Makerspace, a nonprofit that helps people build, learn and inspire.
Mobile Makerspace is a place to learn, build and create from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
The workshop is open for membership and encourages participants to build and make things, invent new products or repair various machines and devices. The group of serious hobbyists meets at the downtown Mobile location several evenings during the week to learn from each other.
“Mobile Makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, and network and build,” Green said. “We offer cool things like 3D printing, where enthusiasts come together and learn the new craft.”
The space provides a gathering spot for those who love to grow their knowledge of electronics, woodworking, cooking, carpentry and even quantum physics. Members range from engineers to computer experts to artists to students, and everything in between.
“I went into the military in 1988 for electronics. I always knew that that’s what I wanted to do for a career,” Green said. “I did electronics on nuclear missile systems and then came back to the states to work as an analyst. Now I use this space to help others innovate.”
Recently, Mobile Makerspace began supporting the Nation of Makers nonprofit, an organization with more than 300 groups working to ensure more Americans have access to spaces, communities and tools that will enable them to make things, and not just consume things.
Deep passion for making things is what drives Green to help others do the same.
“We have this saying at Makerspace: Build, learn and inspire. It gives me a great feeling inside to see people participate in what we’re doing here, and then take it upon themselves to learn and make things better for everyone,” Green said.
From his garage full of tools with a handful of people, to Mobile Makerspace full of the latest and most innovative instruments, Green continues to chart a path for those who make.
For more information, visit: http://makerspacemobile.org.
