Our vision
We envision a world where communities are empowered to steward knowledge, resources, and relationships towards local solutions. Pieces of this vision already exist: community gardens, kitchens, afterschool programs, community centers, food pantries, local festivals, knitting circles, and more are all examples of communities coming together to meet their own needs. However, knowledge found in these spaces is rarely regarded as science, and the creativity necessary to sustain them is often overlooked. How do we redefine science to center community knowledge?
One answer to this question is a Lil Lab: a local hub for community knowledge sharing, resource distribution, and relationship building.
What is Lil Lab?
Imagine walking down your street and spotting a charming, recycled cabinet brimming with frugal science tools, sourdough starters, and native seeds. That is one vision of a Lil Lab! Like “Little Free Libraries” for science, Lil Labs stock materials that are free to the public and culturally relevant. One Lil Lab could house sustainable art supplies and support skill-sharing workshops. Another could distribute water testing kits and information about lead contamination. Yet another could sprout up around a community garden, with tools, seeds, and plant clippings. A Lil Lab could take the shape of a cabinet, a breadbox, or a workbench in an artist’s studio or makerspace. Rather than being defined by the structure itself or the contents inside, Lil Labs are defined by the role they play in empowering their community.
The Lil Lab Network
The Lil Lab Network offers support for all folks who want to celebrate and meet the needs of the communities they serve. We are particularly passionate about supporting Lil Labs in communities underrepresented in STEM or marginalized from academic science.
Each Lil Lab addresses local needs by centering community knowledge, from empowering young girls in STEM (Cabrican, Guatemala), developing local water testing programs (North Carolina, USA), and inspiring bioinnovation through art (Chaing Mai, Thailand). The Lil Lab Network connects Lil Lab leaders across the globe and shares resources, builds community, and offers shared governance.
What we offer:
Set the vision: We envision a future of science by community, for community.
Cultivate community: We support practitioners to promote collaboration and support.
Build Lil Labs: We support community members to build Lil Labs!
Explore Our Little Labs in Action!
Mānoa, Hawai'i
This Lil Lab, in an artists' front yard in Mānoa (HI), focuses on local plants, place-based materials, and the intersection of art and biology. Visitors can take a kokedama (moss ball) made from moss scraped from the sidewalks of upper Mānoa Valley. The soil inside is a mix of local soil, peat moss, and small ‘a’ā lava rocks.
Nogales, Arizona
This Lil Lab is part of a community garden in Nogales (AZ). Inside the Lil Lab, there are small books with gardening tips from local community members (in Spanish), seeds, and plant clippings. Attached to the Lil Lab are tools such as trowels and a watering can.
Friday Harbor, Washington
This Lil Lab is at a field station for scientific research in the San Juan Islands (WA). Reachable by ferry, this Lil Lab is meant to teach people about the tides. It contains tide charts, cyanotyping kits, tripods for time-lapse photos, native seeds, and hydrophones.
