With less than 48 hours to go, Decatur residents and moms Leslie Gilbert and Rebekka Connelly are hoping to reach the necessary $30,000 on Kickstarter to start factory production of their popular “MathKits”, which are described as “math fact games to teach kids, especially girls, to believe in their own math ability”.

A bit more about the MathKits and their history from Leslie..

MathKit is a set of math games and learning tools designed to make math learning as enjoyable and loving as bedtime reading. I invented MathKit after hearing Decatur parents’ stories of stress from math fact practice. Little Shop of Stories jumped on board by helping me host a Math Playdate for families. Many Oakhurst families helped throughout the past year by testing the games, taking photos, and helping us hit our first $10K on Kickstarter.

Rebekka and Leslie are currently making every kit by hand, so the Kickstarter campaign will help speed up production so more kids could benefit from this really cool product!

As with any Kickstarter campaign, different donation levels get you different rewards, so go on over to the Kickstarter page and check it out.  Or stop by the Mathkit website.  Or just watch the video above!

From the Decatur Makers…

All the Decatur Makers are hootin’ and hollerin’ because our Kickstarter campaign has surpassed the initial goal of raising $15,000. Close to 200 people from all over the world (yes we have international backers) have come together to support your friendly neighborhood makerspace.

This means we’re closer to being operational and officially opening the doors. Now we can build out a starter workshop, add some AV capabilities, and install an RFID security system to better control access to the building and tools.

This is a huge milestone for Decatur Makers, but we’re not done yet! There is still one day left to help us reach the stretch goal which would open the side of the building (allows for larger projects, improves access for wheelchairs, handtrucks, etc.) and install some virtualization servers for programming classes and other open source projects.

“Decatur Makers is thrilled to see hundreds of supporters come together to help us open our all ages makerspace.  We’re so excited we may extend the age range to include embryos and the walking dead!” says Lew Lefton, Executive Director.  Appropriate, as the Kickstarter campaign http://bit.ly/dmks will close at midnight on Thursday, Oct 30, the eve of Halloween.

You can still back us at any level from $1 on up.  We have many new backer rewards!  Another way to support the organization is by sharing the following link with your networks:

http://bit.ly/dmks

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting us as we create this awesome community and facility.

Maker Faire Atlanta in Decatur this weekend!  Iman writes in…

With inventors of all types descending on downtown Decatur this coming weekend, Maker Faire Atlanta will bring 20,000 visitors and “makers” from across the country.  The local Decatur Makers will have a prominent presence with several booths to showcase a flaming Ruben’s Tube, a human foosball table, a wood craft for kids as well as two cars in the Power Racing Series.

 

To coincide with this maker paradise, Decatur Makers has launched a Kickstarter campaign that’s brought in over $5,600 in their first two days.  That’s 37% of their $15K goal which will fund workshop construction and additional equipment to aim for a Fall opening.  Lew Lefton, executive director of Decatur Makers, says their space is 80% complete and the Kickstarter is needed to carry them the final mile.

 

“There’s no better time for a Kickstarter campaign,” says Lefton.  “We’ve just completed a successful initial fundraising effort that enabled us to repair and renovate our space.  And this weekend is an excellent opportunity to introduce Atlanta’s first all-ages makerspace to a broad cross-section of experienced and novice makers.”

For more info, go to Kickstarter.com/DecaturMakers.

To volunteer at Decatur Makers’ booths at Maker Faire Atlanta, sign up at DecaturMakers.org.

Decatur resident and musician Caroline Herring launched a Kickstarter campaign on May 1st to create two new children’s albums about children’s books, titled “A Book is to Sing” and “Roxaboxen Songs”.  Her previous children’s album, The Little House songs, was also a Kickstarter funded project.

There are descriptions of both albums and an explication by Herring herself over on the Kickstarter website.

She hopes to raise $5,000 by May 22nd and is already more than halfway there.  Pledges of $10 or more get some mighty fine rewards, so check it out!