Contributor
Community
The Labs is built by the people who learn here. That's the whole idea. Here's how you become one of them.
The first pins go to our two steering committees
Draft. A working draft. The board hasn't approved the levels or the workstreams yet, and the pins are still being made.
Why here
A community you can actually show up to.
In person
Close to home.
People from your own neighborhood, face to face. Not just a chat window.
Side by side
Beginners and experts, together.
Learn from people who've done it. Then teach what you know.
Hands-on
Learning is the point.
Every job here teaches you something. And with AI tools, you'll end up building more than you thought you could.
Local
Real problems, real neighbors.
What you make helps someone you might pass on the street.
Start anywhere.
Ways in
There's no front door. Come in wherever you like.
Somebody fixes a typo in the guide. Somebody else runs a whole room. It all counts, and none of it gets forgotten.
If you make things
Make something better.
See something that could be better? Change it. A guide, a flyer, a talk, a bit of code. We'll credit you by name.
If you want a job to do
Take a role.
Ambassador, Upskiller and Mentor are open now. Poderator comes after you've been through a Build Cycle yourself. Every role has its own training, and soon its own page.
If you've got something to teach
Teach what you know.
Everyone does. Mentor a pod, look over work you know well, and help newer people find their feet. Your time counts here, and we'll make sure people know it.
If you'd rather back it than build it
Become a Supporting Member.
Chip in a little each year, wear the button that says you back The Labs, and come to everything. You can always start here.
Whichever door you take, the pin works the same way. When The Labs runs on something you gave, the people who saw it happen put your name forward. Dues don't count toward it. Only the work does.
Go as far as you like.
The way up
Four levels. Each one means you've had your hands on more of The Labs.
It isn't a ladder you have to climb. Plenty of people find the job they love and stay there for years. But if you want to see how the whole thing fits together, this is how you get there.
One part of The Labs
Contributing Member
Something you gave is now part of how The Labs runs.
- How you get there
- Your work, your time, or your know-how made a real difference, and the Lab wrote down what it was.
- Trusted with
- Vouching for the next person who's ready.
Two major workstreams
Reviewer
You've done it, so you can check it.
- How you get there
- You've worked hands-on in two major workstreams, and two people who already wear the pin have vouched for you.
- Trusted with
- Checking work in the areas you know, and helping newer people get there.
Every major workstream
Approver
You've seen every part of The Labs up close.
- How you get there
- You've worked hands-on in every major workstream, and a few of the smaller ones.
- Trusted with
- Saying yes to changes in the Lab's playbooks, and mentoring Reviewers.
Every workstream, major and minor
Maintainer
You know how it all fits together.
- How you get there
- You've been hands-on across the board. The other Maintainers put your name forward, and the board says yes.
- Trusted with
- Deciding where a workstream goes next. The board keeps the final say.
Drag to turn itArrow keys turn it
Workstreams and level names are still drafts. Major workstreams (draft): Build Cycle, Learning Pathways, Community & Outreach, Platform (OLOS), Operations & Governance. Smaller ones include events, communications and research.
Yours for good.
How it's given
It starts with the work. It ends with a handshake.
- 01
Do the work.
Give your time, your skills, or something you made.
- 02
Two people vouch for you.
Both of them already wear the pin. They help you get there, and then they say so.
- 03
It goes on the record.
The Lab checks it and writes one line about what you did, next to your name.
- 04
Pinned.
At the next big get-together in your region, in front of everyone. The two people who vouched for you pin it on and say a few words.
There's no clock on any of this. Take the time it takes, and every kind of help counts.
Active or emeritus
Once it's yours, it stays yours.
Your level doesn't go away. The only question is whether you're doing the work right now.
Active
In the thick of it.
You've got a seat at the table, and the say that comes with it.
Emeritus
Taking a step back.
You keep your level, your pin, and your voice. When a seat opens up, come on back.
What stays true
A few things that won't change.
- The pin is a thank-you from the community, not a certificate. It says what you did, not what you're allowed to do.
- No one can buy a pin, a level, or a vote.
- Levels don't come with a vote, either. The boards look after programs, money, people and the brand.
- The only way to lose a level is to seriously break the Code of Conduct.
Every pin starts with one small thing you did.
The simplest way to start is the ambassador program. Share your story, bring someone to their first workshop, and see what you end up building.