FORESIGHT ACTIVATION LAB | SPRING GATHERINGS | AWARDS

Our community is built of lifelong learners so we want to offer bite-sized snackables to keep your learning fresh. This is a chance to upskil with the newest tricks and tools of the trade with mini-modules and micro-credentials. No matter when you came through the program, we want you to be always learning and always activating.

Whether you’re a student practicing your facilitation, wanting feedback on a new idea, or an alumni ready to offer some of your own expertise, we’d love to have you sharing with the community. Workshops, talks, and lectures will keep building our foresight ecosystem. Think of The Lab as salon, sandbox, or test kitchen to incubate your brightest ideas.

We want partnerships beyond our program. That looks like deepening relationships at the university but also with you and the work you’re doing in the world. So link up with us. Let us know how we can partner to activate the future together, or connect us to groups you know who are doing great work.

The Activation Lab website/app was officially launched at Spring Gathering 2024.  Students and Alumni of the University of Houston graduate and certificate programs are invited to join the community discussion boards, sign up for workshops, or RSVP to an in-person meetup in your area.

The annual Houston Foresight Spring Gathering takes place each Spring and brings together futures students, faculty, alumni and friends learn, network, and build community.  The Activation Lab hosts a Living Lab on Friday, followed by an evening dinner and networking/socializing.  Saturday’s conference begins with a plenary session before lunch and breaks into workshops in the afternoon, followed by an evening celebration of  the UH Foresight community.

HOUSTON FORESIGHT AWARDS

A competition to recognize and reward student excellence in Foresight.

  • Current students are eligible.
  • You may enter individual or group projects from 2025 (last Spring and this Fall).
  • The projects may come from the following classes:
    • FORE 6351 Futures research project

    • FORE 6371 World futures: individual or group project

    • FORE 6333 Systems: Final project

    • FORE 6331 Social Change

    • HDCS 6331 Advanced Strategies: group project

    • FORE 6359 Design Futures project

    • FORE 6395 Master’s project

  • The projects will be judged in two categories: individual and group. We anticipate 3 winners in each category, and plan to invite winners to present at the Spring Gathering (subject to change).
  • The judges will be members of the Houston Foresight Advisory Board.
  • NOTE: if your project is nominated for the APF Student Recognition program, and you accept that invitation, that project is then not eligible for the Houston Foresight Awards

DEADLINE: January 31, 2026

2025 Houston Foresight Awards

Winner Group Project

Seattle Public Library Strategy 2035

Seattle Public Library Strategy 2035

Steve Fisher, Lyric Metroplos, Fernando Gutierrez, Saima Burkie, Matthew Smith, and Mason Henderson


Read the report here

Winner Individual

Stephen Dupont

Profiles in Organization Foresight

Winner: Stephen Dupont


Read the report here

Winner Individual

Jess Robbins

Entangled Tomorrows: Harnessing Quantum Insight for Dynamic Foresight

Winner: Jess Robbins


Read the report here

Winner Individual

Autonnette McLaughlin

Space and Knowledge 2040

Winner: Autonnette McLaughlin


Read the report here

Student Recognition – Association of Professional Futurists Awards

Here are some examples of excellent student work that have been submitted to the APF Student Recognition program.