lIBERATORY DESIGN LAB (LDL)
a social justice maker space
In their Liberation Design Lab class, we teach our students how to tackle real-world problems using a problem-solving process called design thinking. It involves research, experimentation and hands on work with raw materials to develop prototypes that will deliver cutting edge solutions to issues that we see in our community. Explore examples of past projects below!
An SJS students learns how to mix audio
SAMPLE PROJECT
AUDIO + SELF-LOVE
SJS students recently finished editing a song called "Self-Love" following an LDL class on Go-Go as an act of resistance.
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Scholar-Activists learned how to audio engineer their original songs. Next, they made memorabilia for a go-go museum that is in D.C.
Click the play button below to listen to the song that our Scholar-Activists wrote, recorded, and mixed!
"Don't Mute DC" -- a 3D printing project
WHAT'S POSSIBLE?
FEATURES OF THE LDL
The Liberatory Design Lab at SJS features 3D-Printers, button making-machines, t-shirt making machines, Macbooks, iPads (coming soon), and more! We invite students to create change--literally.
If you have resources, tools, or opportunities that students may enjoy building with and/or want to teach a workshop, please get in touch with us!
SAMPLE PROJECT
MITIGATING GUN VIOLENCE
The 2023 Graduating 8th grade class of the Social Justice School chose gun violence as its key focus issue. To mitigate gun violence, SJS Scholar-Activisists researched and partnered with students from around the city. They used the LDL to make buttons and t-shirts, in addition to writing reports and gathering research. They then presented at End Gun Violence Citywide Festival 2023 in D.C.