OpenHour is an interactive seminar hosted by the Public Lab Community both online and in person. The topics of OpenHour vary from presentations on tools and methods, discussions on environmental issues, to approaches to data-based advocacy. OpenHour is a great way to meet people in the Public Lab Community. Bring your research, your ideas, and your questions; and join us for OpenHour.
* OpenHour is held the first Monday of the month.
* The time alternates between 8:00pm ET (odd months) and 1:00pm ET (even months).
* See schedule below for times and topics.
* The event is hosted on Zoom -- see weblink and call-in numbers in the event info below!
* Subscribe to [https://www.youtube.com/c/PublicLab](https://www.youtube.com/publiclab) to get a notification whenever an OpenHour recording is posted!
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##OpenHour Schedule:
**Monday, August 7th: Problem Identification** (1pm EST, 5pm GMT)
In this OpenHour we'll explore "problem identification."
Environmental exploration starts with a question. That question could be anything from "where is oil washing up on shore?" to "how is the waste water treatment plant up river affecting the water quality down stream?" Articulating questions as a group brings out critical local perspectives on issues, and starts us on a path to figuring out how we might explore these issues, together. In this OpenHour we'll be joined by individuals who bring deep and varied experiences facilitating group problem identification:
- **Paz Bernaldo:** Paz leads a prototype project called laboratorio el Sombrero in Chile. The project's final goal is to help fight urban inequality and segregation (their physical and digital layers) by experimenting with open technologies and defining/tackling local problems.
- **Dinorah Cantu-Pedraza:** Dino coordinates the [GovLab](http://www.thegovlab.org/) Academy, an online institute aimed at helping government and social innovators take innovative projects from idea to implementation. Under her direction, the Academy has worked with over five hundred innovators from more than 30 countries online and off over the last two years. Thousands more have watched its skill-building videos.
**Join us to share your experiences too!**
Link to Join
Call in number: +1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 108 129 704
[International numbers available here](https://zoom.us/zoomconference?m=YAuHJ0kdMF5HLB9e3A76wDYsYQtPch14
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##Past OpenHours
**[Click here for the OpenHour archive and watch any of the OpenHours listed below](https://publiclab.org/wiki/openhour-archive)**
###2017 OpenHours
- July 10th: Aerial Mapping
- June 5th: Facilitation Techniques and Resources
- May 1st: Art in Environmental Science Advocacy
- April 3rd: Fundraising for Projects
- March 6th: Water Water Everywhere! A discussion of monitoring strategies and tools
- February 6th: New Year, New Challenges: the shifting landscape of advocacy
- January 9th: Classifying Waste
###2016 OpenHours
- December 5th: Environmental monitoring methods recognized by enforcement bodies
- November 7th: New contributors to open source code
- October 3rd: Such Activities, Very Replication!
- September 6th: Google Summer of Code Projects
- August 1st: Public Comment on Environmental Issues
- July 7th: Learning about the Barnraising in Val Verde!
- June 6th: Exploring Proof
- May 2nd: Public Lab's research culture
- April 4th: Open Access to Environmental Data
- March 7th: Soil and Soil Testing
- February 1st: Landfills: Mapping and Monitoring!
- January 28th: Live Call on QGIS
### 2015 OpenHours
- December 7th: [The Oil Testing Kit](https://publiclab.org/wiki/oil-testing-kit)!
- November 2nd: Gearing up for the Barnraising
- October 20th, Live Call: Calibration and Characterization of DIY Instrumentation
- October 5th: Formaldehyde and the Plant Remediation Experiment
- September 9th: "Transparency in Environmental Policy and Science."
- August 3rd, Mapping in the Middle of it!
- July 6th: Open Air Projects
- June 1st: Public Lab Web Development _behind the code_
- May 4th: Public Lab's 5 year anniversary party!
- Monday, April 6th: Learning
- March 2nd: Engaging in "C" Science
- February 2nd: Lending Libraries
- January: Energy!
###2014 OpenHours
- December 1st:Public Lab: A year in review and what's coming next.
- November 18th: the Water Hackathon in New Orleans
- November 3rd: Gearing up for the Barnraising!
- October 6th: Events and Event Hosting
- September 1st: Open Topic Session
- August 4th: Thermal Imaging
- July 28th: Open Air: air pollutants and air quality monitoring tools
- July 21st: Water Contaminants and Detection
- July 14, 2014: Spectral Analysis
- July 7, 2014: Near Infrared Photography
- June 30th, 2014: Aerial Mapping
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###Can't wait for a OpenHour? Request a Live Call!
Live Calls are a great way to connect with fellow Public Labbers on projects and ideas that fall outside the OpenHour times and topic schedule. They are designed to help you connect with fellow Public Labbers to brainstorm, share ideas and move forward on projects. These calls will be open to the Public Lab community and access information will be posted on the OpenHour Page.
Request a Live Call!