fab plan Jeff

My name is Jeff Sturges and I am a "maker" and an educator.

Jeff looks nothing like a nerdy guy but when he opens his mouth you find your self trying to cope with a mind that runs with the speed of light.
With a degree in economics and architecture and a broad practice in education and technology he is definitely what would someone define as "a man with a mission".

Initially working as a program manager, teacher, and IT administrator for the GreenFab program, back in N.Y., he arrived in Detroit this past fall with an aim to create "spaces for "making" that integrate creative design & fabrication facilities with learning environments".
Borrowing a FAB LAB trailer from MIT and basing in in Mt Elliot Street he is now looking for a permanent location.

"The Mt Elliott Makerspace (MEM) will be a community workshop located in the Near East Side of Detroit that will leverage its own resources as well as those of the community to address local challenges such as education, environmental awareness, economic development, and community health & well-being. In addition to serving as a space for both formal and informal education, MEM will explore market worthy products/service ideas to create both revenue streams and learning opportunities."



The Mount Elliott Makerspace is a partnership between the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, the Earthworks Urban Farm, and the Mt Elliott Business and Community Association (MEBCA). Inspired by the MIT Fab Lab and the Sustainable South Bronx GreenFab programs, MEM is funded by The Kresge Foundation through their Detroit Program and by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

We approached Jeff to help us build a mobile radio station in shubhabah and we got very interested in his project. We spent an afternoon checking the radio station he has build in the YES FARM building, got introduced to his ideas, visited the Fab Lab and assisted him in finding a permanent location for the MEM.

Saturday morning we visited the Easter Market where the Fab Lab van had be temporarily moved and volunteered in assisting him teaching children (and not only) to make a led light pin by putting together a simple electrical system.



The Eastern market is open only on Saturdays and it gathers quite a diverse population since it is the biggest organic food and vegetable market in the city of D.



You can check the Fab Lab and meet Jeff in person at the DETROIT MAKER FAIRE on the 31st July & 1st August.