This is an experiment.

Over the last decade of working with kids, traditional craft and emerging technology a lot of ideas are coming up. As I meet people and we talk about the ideas, they all ask “Is there somewhere I can go to explore this?” I hope this is a tool for that exploration.

Many people across the US and internationally have contributed to my education, I’m lucky to have them and I want to share what I’ve learned. The open source hardware movement has also profoundly shaped my views, as has the DIY movement.

There are many people in my life to thank, but my family is at the top of the list. Gabe, Bev, Allison, Dad and El, thanks.  At times when the ideas that drive what I do were nascent and and undefined, you all stuck by me.

A huge debt is owed to everyone at SparkFun, this is the most creative (Lindsay, Linz, Brian, Ben, Mando), brilliant ( the Mikes, Nathan, Dave) group of whack jobs (the Petes, the Concreteos) I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving with.

My friends in the education and DIY world also deserve recognition- Warren Technical Education Center in Lakewood CO, Denver Academy‘s faculty, The MIT Media Lab, Vermont Makers, NYU ITP, Tufts CEEO, Dr Gerald Ardito at Inventing Learning. Out west there are the great people at JPL and the Los Angeles maker community(Jean at The Exploratory, YOU ROCK), QTechKnow (Go Quin!), my friends in the Bay Area-NanoSatisfi, The Sterne School and Pioneers in Engineering at UC Berkley. A big shout at Parallax, Ken and Jessica, Andy as well as the whole staff there have changed a lot of kids lives and that includes my son.

OMSI and ADX make Portland one of my favorite places to hang out in the country, Gerry and the faculty at PSU are inspiring at a level that I can’t begin to describe, send your kids to the Maseeh School of Engineering, you won’t regret it. . My friend and colleague Derek Runberg, who we were fortunate enough to steal from Hillsboro creates stuff I’m constantly amazed by. Ashley, who’s door is always open and who will help rehearse ideas and call me when I’m not doing enough long term thinking.

I know this is a pretty incomplete list, but it’s a start and a window into why(?).

Please comment, add and help me  with this as we all continue to explore and marvel at the miracles around us.

Jeff

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