Imagine Your Day at the Living Lab
Morning
The Ocean Discovery Institute Living Lab in City Heights, San Diego.
You awaken in your apartment to the sound of birds chirping from the canyon below. As you drink your first cup of coffee, you step out onto your balcony and gaze out over the roof of the Living Lab and into the canyon, where the early morning light filters through the trees. Looking across the canyon and up to busy Fairmount Avenue, you see a city bus picking up commuters, a garbage truck making its early morning rounds, and parents walking their children to school.
You may decide to start your day with a hike or jog through the canyon, or catch up on the news on your balcony. At 9:30, you hear music signaling the start of the daily morning announcements with Ocean Discovery staff, so you walk down to the lab’s community kitchen to join the group.
Then you walk downstairs to the Ocean Alcove, where the normal floor-to-ceiling ocean live stream is replaced by your presentation about your career. Soon, two 7th grade classes have arrived at the Lab, and small groups rotate through the building to engage in various activities, including an interactive presentation from you.
Afternoon
Scientist-in-Residence Jasmin John inside the Living Lab’s fully-outfitted attached apartment
You break for lunch and a quick respite in your studio to recharge. At 3pm, music plays throughout the building to cue the start of public hours. A few minutes later, the first few students begin to trickle in with their parents. They grab a snack in the kitchen and then head downstairs, where they might finish some homework alongside our “homework helpers” or take out a puzzle to work on in the Ocean Alcove.
Some days, you may join in for homework help, or for Study Hall to help older students with science and math homework. Today, you join the weekly after-school science camp–today’s campers are 3rd and 4th graders. They are learning about kelp forests, and are excited to have a scientist alongside them today.
Ocean Discovery staff lead the activity and you help to answer any questions the students may have. Once the kids get the hang of the activity, they start asking you questions about your job and where you went to school. You strike up a particularly funny conversation with two students about embarrassing childhood memories. After a while, the students pack up their gear to head home, feeling a sense of accomplishment for having worked with a scientist and a new appreciation for what it means to do science and how science is meaningful to them.
Evening
Just before 7pm, the final music of the day begins to play, signaling the close of the Living Lab for the day. As the sun sets and visitors begin to leave, you join up with a group of Ocean Discovery staff and walk up the street to El Titanic, where you enjoy one-too-many fish tacos and recap another exciting day of science and discovery at the Living Lab.
Living Lab Project Needs
The following projects at the Living Lab have been identified based on current, strategic needs for Ocean Discovery Institute. However, if you are interested in becoming a Scientist-in-Residence but have different project ideas, we are happy to discuss alternative ideas that would leave a lasting impact on the organization.
Aquaria Programming & Exhibit
The Living Lab will soon feature multiple aquaria to engage students and the community in hands-on marine science. The aquaria will support both short and long-term demonstrations, experiments, and projects that showcase the students’ abilities and discoveries. We need a Scientist-in-Residence to:
- Advise on the aquaria’s physical design and components;
- Design tools and systems that will enable the aquaria to be adaptable for future projects; and
- Develop a pilot project to test the aquaria’s effectiveness.
Kitchen Programming
The Living Lab’s fully-equipped kitchen can host a variety of programs that engage the community in the science of health behind healthy cooking and eating, as well as incorporating sustainable food choices, such as buying seafood caught locally and with sustainable fishing practices. We need a Scientist-in-Residence to:
- Support with designing and piloting community programming that utilizes the kitchen;
- Make program enhancements to ensure the future success of the program.
Community Garden Programming
Fruits, vegetables, and native plants thrive in the sunny rooftop garden at the Living Lab. The garden will be used as a local platform to teach about global concepts such as water quality, environmental science, climate change, and sustainable resource use, while also promoting healthy habits & skills in a community challenged by lack of access to healthy food options. We need a Scientist-in-Residence to:
- Support with designing and piloting community programming that utilizes the garden;
- Make program enhancements to ensure the future success of the program.
Living Lab Interpretation and Communication
With the opening of the Living Lab, Ocean Discovery now has a physical home in City Heights that community members can visit at no cost. We want to ensure that the visitor experience – what they see, what they read, what the do – is consistent with our goals and mission. We need a Scientist-in-Residence to:
- Inform and develop the messaging and interpretive design aspects of the Living Lab;
- Evaluate and enhance Living Lab interpretative design and communications based on visitor observations and feedback.
