Welcome to the LOCUS Lab

A Student-centered hub for innovation, leadership and social justice at Benerd College. Grounded in the Liberatory Design framework, the LOCUS Lab (short for Leadership in Organizational Change Uplifting Social Justice) is a creative space where students, faculty and community members collaborate to explore complex challenges and innovate to address them.

The LOCUS Lab is for anyone who works in the community with people facing complex systemic challenges.  This might be students who face inequitable access to educational resources, community members facing food insecurity and really anything that could be tackled through creativity and imagination.
liberatory design
Reimagining Change with
Liberatory Design

LOCUS Lab is a revolutionary space where community members come together to solve complex problems using the Liberatory Design model. Liberatory Design is an equity-centered approach grounded in empathy, creative courage and deep collaboration. This process honors local voices and experiences, breaks down barriers and empowers participants to co-create solutions that address real challenges in their neighborhoods.

Through creative conversations, reflection and action, LOCUS Lab builds conditions for collective liberation and justice. Here, everyone is invited to participate and develop self-awareness, equity leadership habits and the confidence to drive positive change.

Liberatory Design was co-developed by leaders at Stanford's d.school and the National Equity Project and is used in schools, communities and business to address complex challenges—in local and global contexts. Our LOCUS Lab creates local opportunities—at Pacific and in the Stockton community—to continue this work.

Join the LOCUS Lab
Become a LOCUS Lab Ambassador

We’re calling future leaders and changemakers to join the LOCUS Lab Ambassador program. Ambassadors mobilize their networks, inspire collective action and nurture the skills of fellow community members, helping others discover their own power to solve local issues. By sharing ideas, hosting events and fostering dialogue, LOCUS Lab Ambassadors become catalysts for equity and transformation.
 

Become an Ambassador
LOCUS
problem solving
Request help from the LOCUS Lab

Have a challenge that’s holding your community back? The LOCUS Lab wants to hear from you!

We invite the Pacific and greater Stockton community to submit an issue or problem—big or small—that affects your neighborhood, workplace, school or city. LOCUS Lab tackles complex issues with fresh ideas, collaboration and equity at the center. 

Some challenges that we continue to address include:

  • Food insecurity in Stockton
  • Inequitable school resources by zip code
  • Student voice in school disciplinary practices
  • Community and belonging in rural areas
  • Mental health and stigmatization
  • Identity and representation for LGBTQIA+ youth in schools
  • Representation of diversity and cultural assets in museum settings

Share your challenge with us and join neighbors who are working together on real solutions. Submit a problem today and let’s co-create positive change!

Contact Us

Reach out to the LOCUS Lab by email at LOCUSLab@pacific.edu