The Labs in three minutes.

Watch it, or read the short version. The ten questions come from this.

[PLACEHOLDER] The orientation film goes here.

The short version

Most people find The Labs because someone they know said “come with me.”

The Labs is free. Workshops, Build Cycles, all of it. Run by volunteers. It grew out of a fall 2025 pilot run by DC Public Library and Levy, a strategic design firm, for about 50 ex-feds navigating career change and new technology. The pilot's alums founded The Labs in January 2026.

The tagline: “Find your people. Build your edge.” The idea behind it: AI is rewriting how we work, and it's easier to learn together than alone.

You don't need a technical background. Just a willingness to learn by doing alongside others.

A Build Cycle is twelve weeks, four a year: Problem Discovery, then Experimentation, then Synthesis. Small teams called pods form around the problems people vote for. Everything built is open-source by default.

Workshops teach two kinds of skills. Durable skills, like communication, storytelling, and framing problems. And AI skills, like prompt engineering and building agents.

Signing in uses a Google account for your name, email, and profile picture only. Never Gmail, Drive, or Calendar.

Your job is three moves. Ask what they're working toward. Share thirty seconds of your story. Invite them to one dated next step.

You don't sell, sign anyone up, or promise a job. People Join The Labs themselves at theupskillinglabs.org.

If anyone asks what we are: “a fiscally sponsored project of Superbloom Design, a 501(c)(3). Our own status is pending.”

Ten questions about The Labs.

You're here because you lived The Labs and liked what you found. Eight of ten and you're set. It's not about being perfect, it's about being ready to tell the story. Try as often as you like.

1What is the tagline of The Upskilling Labs? Find your people. Build your edge. Learn fast. Work smart. The future of work, today. Skills for a changing world.

Hint

It has two short parts: one about community, one about skills.

2What is the central idea behind why The Labs exists? AI is rewriting how we work, and it's easier to learn together than alone Traditional universities are too expensive Remote work has made networking impossible Certifications are the fastest path to a new job

Hint

It's about a big shift in work, and doing something about it together.

3How long is a Build Cycle, and how many run per year? Twelve weeks, 4 cycles per year Six weeks, 6 cycles per year One year, 1 cycle per year Eight weeks, 3 cycles per year

Hint

Three months long, once a quarter.

4What are the three phases of a Build Cycle, in order? Problem Discovery → Experimentation → Synthesis Research → Building → Launch Onboarding → Workshops → Graduation Ideation → Funding → Demo

Hint

You start by finding a problem and end by synthesizing a working prototype.

5What is a “pod”? A small team that forms around a compelling problem A weekly workshop session The physical space at the library where members meet A subscription tier for members

Hint

It's a group of people, not a place or a plan.

6Do you need a technical background to join The Labs? No. You just need a willingness to learn by doing alongside others Yes. At least one year of coding experience is required Yes. A college degree in a STEM field is required Only for the Build Cycles, not the workshops

Hint

The whole point is that it's open to everyone.

7What two broad categories of skills does The Labs teach? Durable (human) skills and AI (technical) skills Coding skills and design skills Leadership skills and sales skills Beginner skills and advanced skills

Hint

One set is timeless and human; the other is about working with AI.

8Where did The Upskilling Labs start? In a DC Public Library pilot, run with the strategic design firm Levy, whose alums founded The Labs In Silicon Valley, as a startup accelerator Online during the pandemic in 2020 At a university in Baltimore

Hint

A library, the nation's capital, and a group of former federal workers.

9What happens to the work participants create during a Build Cycle? It's open-source by default, so others can learn from and build on it It's kept private and owned by The Labs It's sold to sponsors to fund the program It's deleted at the end of each cycle

Hint

Think about the phrase “built in the open.”

10Why does The Labs ask you to sign in with a Google account? To use only your name, email, and profile picture. Never your Gmail, Drive, or Calendar To scan your emails for networking opportunities To sync your Google Calendar with all events To back up your project files to Google Drive

Hint

It's the privacy-conscious answer: minimal access only.

Back

The ambassador agreement.

Plain language. One read.

Who this is between

You and The Upskilling Labs. You're volunteering as an ambassador: you're not staff, and there's no pay.

What you'll do

Have real conversations with people you know, tell your own story, and invite them to one dated next step. When you're ready, give one short talk to a room. Bring someone new along.

How you represent The Labs

Use the guide's words. Describe our legal status exactly as the guide says it. Never promise jobs, pay, or outcomes, and never speak for The Labs to the press or officials without asking your coordinator first.

Other people's information

You don't collect anyone's contact details for The Labs. People Join The Labs themselves at theupskillinglabs.org.

How we treat each other

Our Code of Conduct applies to ambassadors everywhere you represent The Labs, online and in person.

Stepping back

You can stop any time. Tell your coordinator, and you're always welcome back. If an ambassador breaks this agreement or the Code of Conduct, we may ask them to step back.