WHAT IS A LAB?
The Center for Resilient Communities invites its community of practice to the table of collaborative action. The purpose of our Collaborative Action Labs is to address the most challenging problems in West Virginia and beyond by connecting community leaders, scholars and students through action research and cooperative experiments.
FJL
Food Justice Lab
The FJL is an experimental space for research and action focused on challenging food system inequalities. Our action research connects anti-hunger activists, farmers, community development organizations, and civil society to fight food insecurities.
About the FJLFSDL
Food System Development Lab
The FSDL serves as a catalyst to promote food system change by training leaders, launching enterprises and implementing food and agriculture projects with our community partners, particularly in coalfield communities.
About the FSDLEJL
Environmental Justice Lab
The EJL is focused on wielding action partnerships to promote environmental justice initiatives. Our action research connects advocates, public health professionals and policy advocacy groups to understand the environmental crisis.
About the EJLCEL
Community Economies Lab
The CEL draws on action research approaches to incubate the development of cooperative and community-centered enterprises. There are diverse economic experiments currently underway which seek to transform community life.
About the CELBy making new connections, pursuing new lines of inquiry and action, and finding shared strategies, we can change systems and institutions that hold us back. Collaborative action may take the form of campaigns, research, projects or policies within existing organizations, coalitions and networks.In other cases, it may take the form of establishing new community organizations or social enterprises led by participants. The Center currently supports more than 15 community organizations through five collaborative action labs focused on food justice, health equity, food system development and community economies. Each year, the Center for Resilient Communities will help provide backbone support to these collaborative initiatives and more by providing research, funding, planning, facilitation, training and other forms of accompaniment support to groups involved.
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