A makerspace in Chattanooga, Tennessee? Seems like the natural thing given the tradition of industry, technology and manufacturing here in what was termed ‘The Dynamo of the South’ before that now larger city just to the down the road from here in Georgia, once called Terminus, found its legs in the 1970s and blossomed into Atlanta.

‘What in tarnation is a makerspace?’ you ask. The simple answer is remember shop class? If you do, then you most likely understand the soul of the maker movement before you found this site. If you understand this, then you might consider joining us on a path that strives to connect us to that spirit of making.

If not, you are most likely born after 1975, and by the time you were in middle or high school, had missed a real opportunity to broaden your horizons and understanding of the physical world in which you exist. Up until this point, Neo, perhaps your own self identity has been somehow less than given you don’t really know what you missed. This experience that you long for without knowing its name was delivered through what was commonly called Shop Class, or Home Economics.

Back in these ancient times, taking “shop” or “home ec” (more formally known as Industrial Arts) was a normal part of the curriculum. It was as natural, even expected, as taking gym (more formally known as Physical Education). For me, 8th grade was this rite of passage. Since that time, somehow the powers that be have milked every last kick ass thing out of public education, and shop was one of the first to disappear. For me it is like the pain from a phantom limb for our culture.

Perhaps we can we pass the blame to the lawyers? Was it liability insurance? The occasional lathe tool cartwheeling across the work area at 150mph and embedding itself in the opposing concrete wall? The molten aluminum sand casting that someone grabbed before dunking in the pail of water?

No matter the reasons for the demise, shop represented a connection to something I feel many are now seeking either to feel again or for the first time. A real connection to making something with your own two hands. And furthermore, a real connection to our past as Americans, as inventors and makers.

Oversimplified guesswork on my part? Perhaps. But consider when you combine this with the ongoing blackboxing of things that we used to be able to fix ourselves (opened the hood of your car lately?), the sunsetting of NASA as a force for inspiration for millions, and an ever larger government that tells us it can do everything for us. Even the gravity of the American life, a life of luxury compared to the rest of the world, affords us to take our broken stuff to others that do that sort of thing for a living; or for the worst, we toss it into the landfill and just buy another.

In my mind, all of these things have contributed to the maker movement. The makerspace (the kinder, gentler pseudonym for hackerspace) has become very popular in the last 10 years, reaching a fever pitch in the last few. This is why you are here, Neo.

The reality is this valuable part of our public education was not thrown out in other places in the world. Yes, in other countries not only does this sort of practical education exist but it has evolved with the times. And, frankly, from a competitive perspective they are eating our lunch in STEM (Science Technology Math & Engineering) for the foreseeable future.

In these places, shop class has not been extinguished but has evolved into Design and Technology courses that explore design process including current trends exploring sustainability, advanced materials and new technologies. They have morphed Home Economics into Nutrition and Food Sciences exploring localized food sources, with many schools having their own gardens and agricultural experiment facilities.

Does this richness sound enticing? Did you experience this first hand? Will your child, your future children, benefit from such a diverse playground? Not by default, unless you move to Australia or one of the other countries that honor this multi-disciplinary approach to education.

I don’t know about you but this is something I think mine deserve. So they don’t lose the connection to the world around them. So they don’t lose the connection to our American culture and our history as inventors. So they do not miss an opportunity to have a life that is rich and rewarding. So they don’t just become mere consumers.

My twins at a bit over 3 years old sit here in front of me furiously playing with a set of Tinker Toys that we happened upon at a great store in Atlanta this weekend. I saw these and thought ‘yes!’ and gladly plopped down some hard earned cash. They have been playing with these simple toys for hours this morning, creating ‘shooters’ and a variety of vehicles both recognizable and not; and just art. This is in our DNA.

We at Chatt*lab, along with millions of others, are on a search for the lost spirit that we found in the past in shop class; we are on a journey to find our inner maker and inventor that is in our DNA that many have forgotten. We are about rediscovering and expressing this DNA in our communities locally, nationally and globally.

Here in Chattanooga, we are joining our fellow makers in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Huntsville and Atlanta. We are going to create an amazing toybox full of all sorts of “Tinker Toys” and offer it to our community for the price of a gym membership. Want to help? Want to get involved and rediscover your long lost inventor DNA? Then subscribe to this page for updates and reach out and let us hear from you.