Host an event
Why host an event?
Events can be a way to bring new people into a project or to explore ideas together; they're also a great means of learning and teaching different techniques. There are several types of event models Public Labbers use for different reasons. Read more below to find an event structure or idea that could help you shape your event.
Types of events
Choosing an event type depends on your goals! Read through these examples to help figure out what kind of event you'd like to host.
1. Community organizing events
Organizing style events are done to help you and your group push forward on a cause. If your community is facing a new environmental challenge such a new polluter, organizing events help you to get started, get people in the room, get on the same page and to move your group forward in a your objectives. They can help you to:
- galvanize people to a cause,
- understand the resources you have within your community,
- identify the relationships people have to eachother,
- pinpoint the things you need to gather or do to accomplish your goals, and
- set strategies in your action.
Examples
| Purpose | Category | Status | Author | Time | Difficulty | Replications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to evaluate and choose an advocacy pathway | - | - | @stevie | - | - | 2 replications: Try it » |
| Host a Goal Setting Workshop | - | - | @stevie | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Workshop: Draft an Issue Brief with a group | - | - | @stevie | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| How to host a community meeting | - | - | @kgradow1 | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| How to Use Your Bucket Data | - | - | @A_SCH | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Workshop: Explore Issue Briefs with others | - | - | @stevie | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| A First Look at Technical Documents | - | - | @kgradow1 | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
Activities should include a materials list, costs and a step-by-step guide to construction with photos. Learn what makes a good activity here.
2. Teach and Learn Events
Some events focus on teaching a specific set of skills, to enable a larger group to use a method or technique. This can give concrete skills to participants and broaden the number of people who can put a method to use.
Some events of this type seek to "train the trainers" and enable participants to teach the skills in turn to a yet another group. This helps to ensure that there is broad access to a particular method and that it can be adapted and shared with many new people and in new places.
Examples
| Purpose | Category | Status | Author | Time | Difficulty | Replications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host a balloon mapping workshop | - | - | @liz | - | - | 37 replications: Try it » |
| DIY aerial photography: Kite-mapping workshop at the ElectroMagnetic Field Festival in Bletchley, UK | - | - | @cindy_excites | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Stitching Images into Maps with MapKnitter | - | - | @warren | - | - | 0 replications: Try it » |
| Host a collaborative map drawing workshop | - | - | @liz | 3h | - | 1 replications: Try it » |
| Working Oil Testing Event Guide | - | - | @stevie | - | - | 2 replications: Try it » |
Activities should include a materials list, costs and a step-by-step guide to construction with photos. Learn what makes a good activity here.
Also see events you can host in a series such as: - The Wetlands Series - The Garden Series
3. Events to try out and remix a new idea
Many Public Lab events seek to draw on attendees' various skills and experiences to come up with and/or adapt some new ideas. A hackathon is one example of this kind of event, as are:
Examples
- Public Lab Barnraising
- New Hampshire based #iFarm with FarmHack
- Vermont-based #LEAFFEST
Upcoming events
See upcoming events on this page.
Handouts
Here are some 1-page PDFs to share at events:
- A standard "Welcome to Public Lab" handout: welcome-to-plots.pdf (PDF)
- A handout specifically for workshops ("by participating in this workshop..."): welcome-to-plots-for-workshops.pdf (PDF)
Edit these in Google Docs here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gNthbscUD2BZJRCllDx169ZD4tqoKtC7wqs_BhD4vnc/edit
Events others host
