Our Mission and Goals
Mission
DIY Lowell was founded in 2015 by two community members after extensive discussions with leaders across the city. We are a grassroots group dedicated to helping community members make small-scale projects and events happen together. We connect people with ideas to funding, technical assistance, and most importantly to one another.
What's in a Name?
Why do we call ourselves “Do-it-Yourself Lowell?” It’s because we love “Do-it-Yourself Urbanism.” DIY Urbanism is a philosophy of rolling up your sleeves and Doing-it-Yourself by tackling an achievable project that will snowball into bigger changes. DIY Urbanism goes beyond complaining on social media or at community meetings! We empower Lowellians of all types to practice DIY Urbanism together.
What kinds of events and projects?
DIY Lowell Project Teams, made up of community members of all backgrounds, work on all sorts of projects and events that improve or use spaces that are open to the public. Examples range from block parties and festivals to pop-up art and history installations to infrastructure like new bike racks or flower beds. Check out teams’ current and past projects here.
Our Goals
Our mission revolves around three key goals: Being an incubator and testing ground for creative ideas, a civic skill-building workshop for youth and adults, and a bridge between people of diverse backgrounds and identities.
Incubator and testing ground for creative ideas
DIY Lowell creates small projects and events that we hope will pave the way for bigger changes to improve our city. We test new ideas invented by diverse populations and build them into lasting improvements. For example, a pop-up history trail built by the community might lead to a permanent history trail developed by an institution, which in turn might lead to increased tourism, community pride, and a revitalized downtown.
Civic skill-building workshop for youth and adults
DIY Lowell empowers community members to make the city their own. We not only invite the community to make changes to the city, but also provide the skills and networks necessary for community members to do so. This might include skills such as setting agendas, developing budgets, gaining community consensus, applying for grants, getting permits, and working with the city government. We especially work to engage populations that may be underserved by traditional civic structures, including youth, newcomers, and non-English speakers.
Bridge between people of diverse backgrounds and identities
DIY Lowell works toward connecting different groups around shared goals. We believe that everyone’s quality of life improves when people of different backgrounds, races and ethnicities, ages, neighborhoods, or economic circumstances meet, learn from one another, and work together.
The DIY Lowell Team
DIY Lowell is a completely community-led initiative. A thirteen-member advisory committee guides our Director, who helps coordinate the program. This committee also reviews all ideas for compatibility with the guidelines. The advisory committee meets once a month, and anybody interested can watch the meetings. The Director is in charge of outreach, fundraising, coordination with other groups, and making sure every working group has a great facilitator.
Director
Coming soon!
Advisory Committee
- Kevin Bruckenstein, Co-chair
- Fahmina Zaman, Co-chair
- Maria A. Aybar
- Brian Bradbury
- Nicholas Campbell
- Dawn Cheung
- Amanda Flores
- Tristin Henson
- Veronica Holmes
- Sreyvan Nget
- Laura Scarlett Tavares
- Ethan Yang
- Aurora Erickson
- Christopher Glenn Hayes
The DIY Lowell Street Team
DIY Lowell’s Street Team spends the summer getting out into the community and spreading the word about DIY Lowell! We try to hire a new team each year. Please email info@diylowell.org if you are interested in joining.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit an Idea?
Go to our front page and fill out the form under “Submit your Idea!” If it’s your first time submitting an idea, you’ll fill in a form with your name and email so we can contact you if we have questions about your idea. Before you do that, however, make sure to check the idea guidelines and previously submitted ideas to make sure someone hasn’t already submitted a similar idea.
Why isn't my Idea showing up after I submitted it?
If it’s your very first submission, you may have to wait for a DIY Lowell team member to approve your idea (this is to prevent spam). After that happens, any additional ideas you submit will appear instantly.
What's this about putting my name and email address in when I submit an Idea?
When you submit an Idea for the first time, we create a DIY Lowell account for you. With an account, you don’t have to fill in your contact information each time, Ideas you submit will appear instantly, and you can comment on other people’s Ideas. If you want to create an account without submitting an idea, email us at info@diylowell.org (the regular account creation form is down for maintenance).
I'm not sure if my Idea is eligible. What should I do?
If you aren’t sure if your idea is eligible under the guidelines, send an email to info@diylowell.org! We’ll get back to you ASAP to let you know if your idea is eligible or if you might modify the idea to make it eligible.
How are Ideas chosen for implementation?
It depends! Most projects start at a Community Idea Summit, and anyone who pledges to help out for an idea can vote on which Ideas will be discussed at the summits. This way, the people who are committed to helping make an Ideas happen will have a chance to work on their favorite Ideas. Other Ideas may be used when DIY Lowell staff or volunteers write grants or form partnerships with other groups.
Who makes the Ideas happen?
Community members like you! Whether an idea starts at a Community Idea Summit or another way, we’ll ask passionate folks to join Project Teams to make the idea happen. A DIY Lowell facilitator helps the Project Teams make action plans, then implement them. The facilitator helps the entire time with critical tips, but also steps back to let the community members take the charge whenever possible.
How are Ideas funded?
The DIY Lowell team has identified several funding sources to which we can guide Project Teams. For example, we have established a relationship with the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, who can fund up to $1,000 for each project that falls within their sustainability-related guidelines, and we have good relationships with other funders. Some projects have found success with local corporate sponsors or crowdfunding. Finally, DIY Lowell provides a small amount of direct assistance, too!
This seems like a lot of work for a few small projects.
That’s not a question, but it’s a comment that we receive often. However, we’re interested in goals beyond completing the projects. We’re interested in finding the best way to turn talk into action by identifying the common barriers our working groups face. We’re interested in bringing more voices into the community conversation and encouraging folks who might not have time for a huge commitment to take on a small piece of a small project. We want to empower those who live, work, or love Lowell to make a positive impact in our community.
