01Start here
Ages 7–9Ages 10+
Shop workshops
Measure, mark, and make a useful wooden project to take home. A guided first go with real tools. Beginners welcome.
Hear about workshopsGreater Lansing, Michigan
Build something.
Surprise yourself.
Real tools. Useful skills. A finished project that you can carry out the door. Mobile shop classes & camps for kids and teens.
First classes are taking shape. Join the interest list.
Ages 7–9Ages 10+
Separate groups. Beginners welcome.
Made for your community
We bring the tools, materials, and know-how.
The first step is interest
Dates, venues, and prices are still taking shape.
A place to start. Room to grow.
Their next
“I made that.”
An afternoon can spark an interest. A few weeks can turn it into a skill. Find a starting point for your young maker.
02Keep building
Ages 7–9Ages 10+
Shop Club
A planned weekly series for practicing the basics, taking on the next project, and finding your feet at the workbench.
Hear about Shop Club03Make a week of it
Ages 7–9Ages 10+
Maker camps
Hands-on mornings with projects, design breaks, and something to show for your time. Planned for future school breaks.
Hear about campsPlanning-stage formats for ages 7–17. No sessions are open for booking yet. We’ll share the project, venue, price, and exact age group before registration opens.
Confidence you can hold
From “Can I?”
to “I did.”
Your child will learn a practical skill and take home a project they helped build.
We start with a manageable project and demonstrate each tool. Kids get time to practice, ask questions, and work through the little problems that making brings.
Give them a place to begin01
Measure & mark
Read a ruler, follow a simple plan, and check the fit before fastening.
02
Handle tools with care
Practice clamping, controlled hand-tool use, and good habits at the workbench.
03
Build & test
Assemble real parts, check the result, and understand why a joint holds.
04
Work through it
Notice what needs adjusting, ask useful questions, and try again.
Small groups. Thoughtful guidance.
Care is part
of the craft.
Ages 7–9Ages 10+
Our initial programs serve ages 7–17, in separate groups.
Our launch model pairs up to twelve children with a lead instructor and a second adult. That means time for questions, a steady pace, and individual guidance.
- Eye protection and a tool demonstration before hands-on work.
- Hand-tool projects with wood prepared by adults.
- Time to pause, check the work, and have another go.
Venue, staffing, and program requirements will be confirmed before any class opens for registration.
Up to 12 young makers per class
The people behind the workbench
Local people.
A practical idea.
Luke Pline and Dominic Cochran are building Measure Up Makers to bring more hands-on learning to Greater Lansing.
Teaching & projects
Luke Pline
After adopting the moniker (given to him by Dominic), "Bob Vila Jr." as a late teenager, Luke has pursued endeavors ranging from managing complex industrial automation projects to running a successful woodworking company called Pline Craftsman Co. Luke has built everything from kitchen tables, large built-ins and kitchen cabinets, to game show games. As a father of 2 rambunctious special needs boys, he loves to help them realize their own creative ideas by teaching them how to make things using traditional and modern maker methodologies.
Families & community
Dominic Cochran
As Founding Director of the Lansing Public Media Center, Capital City Film Festival, and the Ovation Center for Music and Arts, Dominic knows how to plan events and build community. He will connect families and hosts with the program, keep class info and project stories fresh, and can also assist Luke at the workbench.
Have a group or a great space?
We’ll bring
the workshop.
Homeschool groups, schools, camps, and community hosts: we bring the tools, materials, instruction, setup, and cleanup to your group at an agreed venue.
Good questions
Before the
first build.
The first build starts here
Let’s make
something
happen.
Tell us where you are and what your young maker is curious about. Your interest helps shape the first classes.
No payment. No reserved seat.
Just a place to start.
Greater Lansing and nearby communities
Lansing · East Lansing · Okemos · Haslett
Holt · DeWitt · Grand Ledge
Keep me in the loop.
Be first to hear about classes near you.