WHO WE ARE
At Positive Fields we strive to inspire our members, and spark a passion for self-motivated learning.
OUR MISSION:
We want to make technology fun to learn and use, and empower artisans and craftspeople by providing free access to equipment that otherwise would be too expensive to obtain. We’re here to strengthen our community by sharing and promoting the rewards of learning, creating, and appreciation for the arts.
2019: Positivity by the numbers:
56
TOTAL WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS
200+
HOURS SPENT ON COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION
16
TOTAL CLASSES TAUGHT FOR SCHOOL CREDIT
33
TOTAL MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
OUR CORE VALUES:
practice
collaborative learning
embrace emerging technology
promote
education for everyone
foster
community development
Our Director: Grady Sain
Grady saw a dire situation in the rural Southern communities he grew up in: vanishing industrial arts education and the lack of easy access to digital arts technology.
Grady has a 30+ year career in the visual and digital arts. For over 8 years he traveled the world working for clients such as Microsoft, Google, Disney, and Coca-Cola, creating high tech digital experiences. On returning to his family’s homes in the Southeast, he became acutely aware of the cultural and economic divides that separated the cities he lived in, and the small rural communities he came from.
A simple but powerful idea was born- he wanted to create a culture of self-motivated learning to help bridge that divide. It should be an easy, fun, and rewarding way for people of all ages to gain access to the technology, equipment, and educational programs he saw in urban communities across the country.
He began to educate himself on the phenomenon collectively known as the maker movement. Positive Fields is the result of his vision- a freely accessible makerspace and arts education center.
Positive Fields is working towards clear goals:
- lower the barriers to entry in tech education
- provide role models to an at-risk rural community
- teach real-world skills with practical applications
- inspire young minds with the power of participation
- showcase and promote local working artists
- help develop community-based small businesses
