Living Lab

Based in the Institute for Social Justice, the Living Lab seeks to make real changes on campus - from reducing waste to tackling food poverty - while engaging hundreds of students each year in action learning.

The award-winning initiative includes student engagement from across the 5 Schools of the University. This is because all students and disciplines bring impactful skills and insights that can contribute towards a more just and sustainable future.

Each academic year, the Living Lab focuses on a particular ecological justice issue. Projects to date include:

• 2021-22: Learning at the Junction: Air quality and pollution
• 2022-24: Feeding the Campus: Social and ecological justice in the York St John food system

Our current project is:

2024-2027: Resilience in a Changing Climate

In tune with this cross-curriculum approach, the Living Lab core staff team includes:

• Dr Catherine Heinemeyer, School of the Arts and Institute for Social Justice
• Dr Jude Parks, School of Humanities
• Dr Vicki Pugh, Institute for Social Justice
• Sarah Williams, Estates team

The Living Lab's vision

The Living Lab's vision is firstly to empower students to develop skills as researchers, advocates and activists. Supported by the Living Lab team, individual students are invited to take the lead through a variety of roles and opportunities. These include paid internships, student researcher roles, volunteer bloggers or project officers. Watch the 2025 Living Lab latest video to hear from students and get an insight into our vision.

Secondly, the Living Lab seeks to embed ecological justice within the University's wider curriculum. So far over 25 academics have included direct engagement with the Living Lab as a part of module design and outcomes.

Thirdly, the Living Lab is a space where knowledge can be exchanged and enhanced, and confidence can be grown collaboratively between students and the wider University community. As well as working with peers, the Living Lab invites students to address complex issues alongside academic departments and professional services, including Estates, Catering, and Careers. For staff involved, the network offers an opportunity to embed their teaching in a rich, multidisciplinary context, as captured within the Living Lab's first Reflection Report.

Highlights from the Living Lab

In 2022 the empowering, student-focused approach of our Living Lab was recognised in the UK-wide Green Gown Awards, where we won the 'Tomorrow’s Employees' category.

We are finalists in the 'Student Engagement' category for the 2024 Green Gown Awards, with winners announced in November.

The Living Lab creates a community through shared events such as workshops, street festivals and potlucks.

Throughout the year the Living Lab brings the diverse network together to take part in workshops, expert talks, film screenings, collaborative art projects, public festivals.

Explore some of our highlights:

• Learning at the Junction Street Festival
• Sustenance: A Fine Art Exhibition as part of the Living Lab
• Living Lab Burns Night Potluck
• Green Week 2023: Focus on the Living Lab
• York St John Student Cookbook 2023 (PDF, 2.9 MB)
• Short films from Living Lab: Feeding the Campus
• Writing Resilience Anthology (PDF, 10.6 MB) - Exploring the community's strength in the face of climate uncertainty.
• Over 100 students gathered to learn, stitch, and connect at a special Repair Fair. Read more on the YSJ news page
• Out With The New Zine - ( PDF 5.9MB)- Student exploration of fast fashion and sustainability

Get involved

The Living Lab is an ever-growing network and we welcome informal enquiries about the project.

There are many ways to get involved in the Living Lab as a student, staff member or external organisation. If you would like to know more or to explore opportunities, email c.heinemeyer@yorksj.ac.uk.

For updates on future Living Lab events, please keep checking this page and follow us on Instagram @ysj_livinglab

Working Group

Our friendly fortnightly Working Group is a chance for students and staff to share their work, ideas, and support each other in their ecological justice activities.

It has become an invaluable, informal time when collaborations and community take shape. 

Whatever interest you have in climate justice, you are welcome to pop along as often as you like. Meetings are hybrid, you can join online or in person in our Living Lab Hub.

To be added to the Teams invite list, please email c.heinmeyer@yorksj.ac.uk

Circular Skills

Have you ever wanted to learn how to mend your favourite items? Do you love fashion but hate overconsumption? Are you eager to transform something old into something new?

Living Lab interns ran a series of successful clothes swap on campus in 2026. And we want to do more:

• Clothes Swaps (read the ISJ blog)

• Repair fairs (read more on YSJ News)

• Upcycling workshops.

We are currently planning for 2026-2027. If you are interested in helping run a circular event, please get in touch. Follow our Instagram too!

Community gardening

We want to grow our community gardening community! Would you like to spend some time in the fresh air? Learn how to grow herbs and fresh food? Or make a difference to green spaces on campus? This year Occupational Therapy students will be sharing more opportunities for getting involved via social media and Moodle.

Wild Wednesdays

New year - Every Wednesday from 12:00pm to 2pm

Meeting point: Outside the Students' Union building on the right-hand side (Look for the raised beds and big community garden sign).

Join our Grounds team on campus for hands-on activities.

What students said about Wild Wednesday:

"One way we can act is to give our campus some love and learn more about growing. Wild Wednesday provides a space to make that difference. We have built new habitats for our local insects and hedgehogs, and planted garlic and onions for the upcoming year"

“Gardening has done wonders not only for our campus, our planet, and our wildlife but also for ourselves!”

Email v.pugh@yorksj.ac.uk for more information.