What is a Living Lab?
The Living Lab is an interdisciplinary network of students and staff collaborating to investigate the solutions to real-life, local ecological justice issues. We aim to support students to engage with social and ecological issues in meaningful ways.
The current Living Lab is called FEEDING THE CAMPUS and it focuses on creating a campus food system that better meets the needs of both people and planet. Over 600 students are involved through over 20 modules in all five Schools of the University, together with the Catering, Estates, and Careers teams.
Posts can found under #LivingLab and #FeedingTheCampus. Follow us on twitter Ecological Justice at York St John (@YSJEcolJustice) / Twitter
Scroll down for posts about last year’s Living Lab – Learning at the Junction.
Introducing LIVING LAB: Feeding the Campus
The Living Lab is a network of students and staff from different departments, all collaborating to investigate a real-life, local, social and ecological justice issue. And we’re embarking on a big one: the campus food system. Read about our wonderful launch event here.
Psychology students in the Living Lab
Psychology lecturer Maria Fernandes-Jesus gives an insight into how her second year ‘Qualitative Research Methods’ students are getting involved in Living Lab: Feeding the Campus. All 105 students are working in groups to conduct in-depth research into a burning question related to the campus food system. Read more here!
Learning Outside the Classroom – and through the Living Lab
Students picking the last of the season’s peas from a staff member’s allotment
An eyewitness account of the rich learning process experienced by third year Initial Teacher Education students on the Learning Outside the Classroom module. Their work intersected with the Living Lab through visits to YSJ’s community food growing spaces, and an exploration of storytelling and the food system.
Sustenance: a Fine Art exhibition as part of the Living Lab
The banquet table, complete with chocolate-coated gruel and selections of fruit!
This semester, a group of seven Fine Art students opted to join the Living Lab and make a collaborative response to issues around the food system, together with their lecturer Helen Turner. Fine Art student Sam Keane and Living Lab intern Meg Padgett reflect here on the result: SUSTENANCE, an installation, an exhibition, a provocation, a banquet, an experience.
Introducing the Living Lab core student team 2022-23
The Living Lab is blessed with a wonderful team of student interns and students-as-researchers. In this post they introduce themselves in their own words.
Burns Night Potluck – our Semester 1 feast
Students and staff from across the university gathered on Burns Night to mark old traditions of sharing food and poetry – critically examine the present – and envision alternative futures. A rich and vibrant evening!
Red Tower York – helping the community one bite at a time
Red Tower volunteers fundraising for their work
Living Lab interns Lauryn Wilson and Charlie Malbon investigate local food pioneers Red Tower York, and the ways students can get involved with supporting their work using surplus food to help their local community.
Green Week: Focus on the Living Lab
Living Lab student researcher Hayden Costello reports back on the range of food system-focused activities that took place during YSJ’s third annual Green Week.
Last year’s Living Lab: Learning at the Junction
An introduction to the pedagogy behind the Living Lab, meet the core members, and hear lecturers and staff discuss how they plan to integrate sustainability into their modules.
Learning At The Junction
“For the Living Lab project 2022, we have decided to focus our attention on air pollution, and how it impacts us physically, socially, and emotionally. Throughout this project, we will be exploring interdisciplinary and creative methods of improving the urban environment, ways of disseminating information, and how best to engage the public in ecological issues. Working with Councillor D’Agorne, the deputy leader of the City of York Council, our research will help inform the council’s next Air Quality Action Plan.”
Intersections in Ecological Justice
Read article here.
“Humans are, and will always be, entirely dependant on a healthy world and its functioning ecosystems. From needing the correct temperatures and nutrient-rich soil for food production, low-particulate and nitrate levels in the air to breath, or water sanitation to drink and avoid disease, we are deeply entangled into the ecological world.”
Embedding Justice in Critical Maths Education
Click here to read Manjinder K Jagdev’s research on decolonial practice.
Manjinder K. Jagdev, Senior Lecturer in Education, discusses Critical Maths Education, decolonising the curriculum, and the importance of teaching social justice issues to all ages.
Science for Social Change
Click here to read about Dr Adam Odell’s involvement in Disease Detection and Prevention.
Dr Adam Odell, Senior Lecturer in Biosciences, and lead for Disease Detection and Prevention (DDaP) Group, discusses science communication and future interdisciplinary projects.
The Politics of Place
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Jude Parks, Senior Lecturer in Geography and co-coordinator of the Living Lab, reflects on sessions by the junction.
Green Reads
Learn more about Green Week here.
As Green Week overlaps with the York Literature Festival, I have complied a list of five creative nonfiction and poetry books that can help readers better understand the intersections in ecological justice […]
Art as a Catalyst for Scientific Discovery
Learn more about Clare Nattress’ research here.
Clare Nattress, lecturer in Graphic Design, discusses activism in design and her own air pollution research.
Sharing Projects, Sharing Air
Watch a recording of the event here.
The Green Week sharing event- talks from David Haley from Chrysalis Arts, Sarah Williams from Estates, and second-year Drama students.
Festival Success
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Last week, students from many different modules gathered to share their work with each other and with the public as part of the Pint of Science Festival.
Languages at the Junction
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Dr Clare Cunningham, Senior Lecturer in Languages and Linguistics, writes on her Multilingualism module and ecological justice.