CLEAR Workshop: March 10 + 11

Location:

Civic Lab for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) Workshop – Part 1 + 2:
Champaign-Urbana Fab Lab, 1301 South Goodwin Avenue, Art Annex 2, Urbana, IL.

Travel to Fab Lab:

  • carpools will be available and announced for Friday afternoon transport from the Levis Center Conference Venue to the Fab Lab.
  • walking from the Levis Center Conference Venue to the Fab Lab is about 15-20 minutes.
  • the closest MTD bus stops to the Fab Lab are Penn + Goodwin (NE Corner) or Gregory a Mumford Hall. See map below.

DAY 1 – Friday March 10th

6:00-7:30P – Civic Lab for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) Workshop – Part 1: Scavenging for Science Hardware Exercise – with Max Liboiron, Memorial University, Newfoundland.

  • Hardware is a vital part of scientific work, and advances in instrumentation have been central to scientific revolutions. Although scientists are often tinkerers, the current supply chain for science hardware limits access and impedes creativity and customisation. This two-part workshop begins with scavenging materials from the waste stream to be re-purposed for scientific hardware. We will visit local hot spots for waste, glean objects fit for science, and the following day, use them to build instruments for monitoring marine pollution. People are welcome to attend either workshop without attending the other. Please wear clothing appropriate for walking and touching dirty things. 

DAY 2 – Saturday March 11th

8:30-11A: Civic Lab for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) Workshop Part 2: Building Feminist Technologies for Monitoring Water Systems Plastics with Max Liboiron, Memorial University, Newfoundland.

  • Feminist technology often refers to technologies that deal with issues of gender and equity. But we can also design and build technologies that embody the values of feminism—equity, justice, accessibility. In this workshop, we will use materials scavenged from local waste to create DIY, feminist hardware for monitoring plastic pollution in local waterways. The workshop will include a short introduction to feminist tech and the issue of plastic pollution, build time for creating instruments, and a trip to the water to test out our new inventions.