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Dear friends,

As we close out this year, we want to say THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of our neighbors, community activists, artists, facilitators, academics, partners, supporters, and Design Gym members for all of the ways you contributed to DS4SI this year. We had three successful semesters in our new Design Gym in 2023 that included design theory courses such as Civic Design, Imagination Methodologies, and Ideas-Arrangements-Effects, as well as maker classes, book groups, prototyping workshops, "Open Gym" slots, deeper engagements such as design-in-action seminars, Friday Night Life events, which centered joy and community, and SERCs geared toward radical healing and action. We celebrated the 3-year anniversary of our book "Ideas Arrangements Effects: Systems Thinking and Social Justice", launched the first Public Kitchen and Dance Court Cohort, which supported about 30 people to launch their own Public Kitchens and Dance Courts across the city of Boston and beyond. We took "Worldbuilding" outside (We outside y'all!!) to the neighborhood in Mary Hannon Park, and created space for all of you to do this work and build community for FREE. In addition to all of this, our staff has grown +300% (Astronomical!) 

As 2024 starts, we are facing another major change in our work. We have to move! Our current space will undergo construction as Dorchester Bay and POAH add five floors of affordable housing to DNI’s landtrust. We are currently working with them to return when the space re-opens, but that will take 2-3 years. 

What now? 

We are still looking for a temporary home, but in the meantime- we have an ask of our community- an ask of YOU! We want to remain in the Uphams Corner area. However, commercial rent prices have become ridiculously high. (Gentrification at its finest!) It's going to take a considerable amount of funding support for us to stay in the neighborhood during the construction of the new studio.

Our ask is for you to consider becoming a funding partner with DS4SI. They say "many hands make light work." We believe in the power of community. Please give whatever you are able to support our work  - whether you're able to donate $5 or $500, or $5,000 - we appreciate your donation. Support our work and also share with your network and/ or share your resources with us that we may be unaware of- any way you choose to support, is greatly appreciated. 

If you would like to support the Studio in other ways—donating your time, expertise, equipment, etc.—please @ DesignGym@ds4si.org . We’d love to hear from you. 

Please consider joining "The Art of Giving" campaign here.

with gratitude,

Lori & Kenny