[![coverimage-banner-01.png](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/001/399/medium/coverimage-banner-01.png)](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/001/399/original/coverimage-banner-01.png)
**Conference Dates:** October 4-6, 2013 (full days Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
**Travel Details:** Free shuttle from MSY (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport) on Thursday PM & Monday AM
**Location:** [LUMCON](http://www.lumcon.edu/Information/about.asp), a research station on the Gulf Coast in [Cocodrie, Lousiana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocodrie,_Louisiana)
**RSVP** for the barn raising [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FmmZFUUn2fOe-xI9-gtWdge8C-nXCTS9G0D977YOwAE/viewform). (link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FmmZFUUn2fOe-xI9-gtWdge8C-nXCTS9G0D977YOwAE/viewform) _Deadline is September 27th!_
**A human contact if you have logistical questions:** Liz Barry (336-269-1539) or liz[@]publiclab.org; Shannon Dosemagen (504.239.4642) or shannon[@]publiclab.org; and Becki Chall, becki[@]publiclab.org.
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##What is a Public Lab barn raising?##
This is the closest thing we have to a Public Lab conference -- but with an emphasis on "doing stuff together" rather than just presenting/talking. In the spirit of bringing a community together to collectively raise a structure such as a barn, Public Lab comes together to develop tools, toolkits, supporting materials such as guides and tutorials, test the tools and develop new research directions and projects. Participants represent a wide range of interests from technologists and designers to social scientists and community organizers.
**2013 Theme: Education:** Many folks have been leading programs and writing curricula for Public Lab tools and field methods. This barnraising is dedicated to bringing these initiatives together and identifying a plan for growing education within Public Lab and with our partner organizations. By doing this we hope to better support knowledge-sharers of all varieties who are growing the community of people who can do their own environmental research.
##Join the conversation##
**Join the Education Working Group list:**https://groups.google.com/group/plots-education
**Join the Barn Raising mailing list:** https://groups.google.com/group/plots-barnraising
![canoeing.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/732/medium/canoeing.jpg)
_Canoe time at the 2012 Barnraising (photo by Pat Coyle)_
##Planning Committees##
If you are attending, please sign up for one or more committees!
**Foodcom** [Jeff](/profile/warren) + [Ted](/profile/TedF) + [?]
**Beercom** [Jeff](/profile/warren) + [Becki](/profile/Becki) + [?]
(unwinding, downtime)
**Gearcom** + [Scott](/profile/eustatic) + [Mathew](/profile/mathew) + [?]
(organizing what equipment needs to be brought)
**Doccom ** [Liz](/profile/liz) + [?]
(tweeting, documenting, reporting out to the online audience as things happen)
**Media sharing**
Lots of people will be taking photos, shared articles/readings, etc. Let's aggregate them here, just edit this page and paste in the link below! Flickr tags: "publiclaboratory" and "barnraising2013". Please remember to share as Creative Commons Attribution at least. We can also host large amounts of files, just contact web@publiclaboratory.org.
_PASTE YOUR MEDIA LINKS HERE: _
**Travelcom ** [Becki](/profile/Becki) head organizer, [Jeff](/profile/warren) will be a driver, [Shannon](/profile/shannon) will be a driver + [Scott](/profile/eustatic) can be a driver + [?]
If you'll be needing a ride to / from the airport, or from New Orleans to Cocodrie, give us a heads up as to your [travel deets in this google doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EY9h7ftbG7OQtAGKx2QTz9HsFuasQMXUt2RsdY57kYA/edit)
**Schedulecom ** [Liz](/profile/Liz) + [?]
This COM will will collate ideas for sessions (add yours below) and create the schedule grid (embedded below). There will also be some open sessions for unconference-style organizing.
##Session Ideas##
Add your ideas for sessions here! Discuss on the Barnraising mailing list! Join Schedule Com to help turn these ideas into a real schedule (see embedded spreadsheet below)
* Who's teaching what? Presentations of current educational programs in Public Lab
* Who's documenting what? Presentations of curricula created around Public Lab tools, including [Oil Spill Toolkit](http://publiclab.org/wiki/oil-response-toolkit-planning) and the [GeoJournalism Handbook](http://geojournalism.oeco.org.br/2013/08/balloon-mapping-how-to-make-your-own-low-flying-satellite/).
* Popular Activities as proven entry points to Public Lab that we could design curriculum around: http://publiclab.org/wiki/activities
* Barnstars turn 1! (classic barnstars awarded for all barnraising attendees, learn how to add them to your profile page)
* Public Lab value statement (draft started at Barnraising 2012)
* http://www.gogamestorm.com/ for group discussion facilitation games (via Dan Beavers)
* Raspberry Pi Infragram with [Mathew](/profiles/mathew). Buy/bring a Pi and Pi camera if you want to make one.
* Flare spectrometry -- how to measure contaminants from gas flares (suggested by Jeff)
* Making and launching small-run open hardware kits, crowdfunding (suggested by Jeff)
* Tour of LUMCON facilities (and maybe research vessels!) led by Alex Kolker. Best for Saturday.
* "Prove something with Infragram" - outdoor "photo hunt" with infragram cameras (with head-boxes), in small teams, followed by each group using Infragram.org to test a simple hypothesis about plant health. Slideshow and discussion at end. (Jeff on behalf of LEAFFEST crew and Cindy)
* Infragram & Spectrometer interface brainstorming with respective designers, coders, users, etc. -- "wish list" and wireframe sketching (proposed by Jeff, looking for co-lead)
* how to to get more serious about public lab developers as a community... a plots-dev mailing list? Try to cultivate a programmer corps? (Jeff plus anyone who's interested)
* Ethics of participation: picking it up where we left it last year and breif presentation of a draft guide of ethical principles and practices in community-based research (suggested by Cindy)
* Some thoughts on Participatory Sensing - "Community engagement in environment monitoring through imagery: Discussion on community engagement in developing methods for sensing and their impact on sustainability" (suggested by Hagit and Cindy)
* Short discussion about the attributes, purpose, etc. of an open online community map (on the [Mapping for Change](http://www.communitymaps.org.uk/) platform) to plot DIY Public Lab tools/knowledge available for sharing - maybe start here in the UK and then extended to the US and around the world.
* Your Idea Here :D
##Logistics##
LUMCON is generously allowing us to descend on their research station, so please review their online handbook for visitors: http://www.lumcon.edu/facilities/MarineCenter/VisitorHandbook.pdf
**Lodging Options**
The majority of people will be staying at the LUMCON facility which has male and female dorm-style bunk rooms and a couple of apartments with double beds. Each is $20 per night. If you are not comfortable spending the night in a dorm, the closest marina/lodge is TradeWinds: http://www.tradewindscocodrie.com/. If you are coming with a group of friends, there are also a number of "camp" options (which means large houses with enough sleeping room for 8+). There are also a number of lodging options in Houma (which is a bit of a distance away) and a couple of options in Chauvin.
##Scenes from the 2012 Barnraising##
Video produced by Caterina Scaramelli (12 minutes of pure Barnraising gold)
![schedule-grid.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/734/medium/schedule-grid.jpg)
_Kickoff at the schedule grid! (photo by Don Blair)_
![barnstars.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/735/medium/barnstars.jpg)
_A late-night session on Barnstars! (photo by Don Blair)_
**Information** on the [2011](http://publiclab.org/wiki/past-barnraisings) and [2012](http://publiclab.org/wiki/barnraising) barnraising