Measure 01
Participation
Class and workshop attendance, Open Studio visits, event participation, active memberships, and repeat participation show how people are using the Lab.
IMPACT
Community Impact,Measured
Public Thread Lab tracks how reclaimed materials, shared space, learning, and participation create measurable outcomes for people and the community.
What we measure and why
Impact reporting helps us understand who is using the Lab, what people are learning, how they contribute, and how reclaimed materials move through the space. We are starting with figures we can currently verify and building a stronger community-data baseline over time.
Current measures
What We Can Verify Today
These are the current operational figures available for publication. Participation, learning, volunteer, and instructor totals will be added after the community-data baseline is complete.
15,000 lbs
textiles diverted in 2026 so far
Reclaimed materials are documented as they move into products, projects, experiments, and learning resources.
13,000 sq. ft.
space for learning and making
The Lab combines equipment, material storage, instruction, production, and community workspace under one roof.
Measurement framework
What We Measure
The Lab’s impact is organized around four connected categories. Each category has a defined set of records that can be tracked consistently over time.
Measure 02
Skills & Learning
Class completions, training hours, skills practiced, participant feedback, and continued use of those skills help us understand learning outcomes.
Measure 03
Contribution
Volunteer hours, active instructors, mentors, classes hosted, and community partnerships show how people contribute knowledge, time, and leadership.
Measure 04
Material Use
Pounds of material diverted, distributed, or used through programs connect community participation to the larger material-recovery system.
Community totals will be published as the reporting baseline is completed and the underlying records can be verified.
Participation model
How involvement can deepen over time
The Lab tracks more than a single visit. This model helps us understand whether people return, build skills, contribute, and eventually create opportunities for others.
This is a measurement model, not a required path. Every form of participation remains valuable.
Visitor
A first interaction with the Lab through an event, tour, class inquiry, or visit.
Participant
Hands-on involvement through a class, workshop, Open Studio session, program, or event.
Member
Recurring participation and a sustained connection to the space, materials, programs, and community.
Contributor
Sharing time, knowledge, labor, feedback, or other support that makes participation possible for others.
Community Leader
Teaching, mentoring, hosting, organizing, or helping shape new programs and opportunities.
Measurement notes
Reliable impact reporting requires more than collecting large numbers. We identify the source of each figure, separate confirmed totals from estimates, and explain what the available data does and does not show.
Current reporting status
Material diversion and physical capacity are the current published measures. A consistent baseline for participation, learning, volunteering, instruction, and community partnerships is being developed before those totals are published.
How information is collected
Sources include registrations, attendance records, membership records, Open Studio records, volunteer logs, instructor and program records, material tracking, participant surveys, and direct feedback.
What numbers do not fully capture
Confidence, belonging, relationships, creative growth, and the moment someone begins to see themselves as a maker are meaningful outcomes that require stories and feedback alongside quantitative measures.
How figures will be updated
New totals will be added only after their sources and definitions are consistent. Published figures will identify their reporting period and will be reviewed as new records become available.
