LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky's Community Innovation Lab has opened a dedicated facility at 641 Maxwelton Ct., marking a major milestone for an initiative that has spent more than 13 years connecting students with real-world community challenges. According to UKNow, the lab officially opened its doors on April 3, 2026.

Housed in both the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK College of Education, the lab addresses what co-director Bryan Hains describes as finding a "front door" to change. "This institution is large," Hains said. "There are 17 colleges and over 30,000 students. Where's the front door?" The new space provides a visible, accessible hub for students and community members to collaborate on pressing local issues.

The Community Innovation Lab operates on the principle that learning should extend beyond classrooms. Students work directly with community partners on projects addressing real-world problems, from addressing gun violence through ONE Lexington to health disparities with UK HealthCare's Healthy Kentucky Initiative. The lab has also worked with commodity groups on strategic planning.

What distinguishes the lab is its long-term approach. Projects are not bound by semester timelines. Instead, students at different academic levels work on initiatives longitudinally, with graduating seniors passing projects to younger cohorts to continue and advance the work. "We take a student where they are, build their capacity, and they work on those projects longitudinally," Hains explained. "So while one is graduating, they're handing off the baton to the next one."

For years, the lab operated from a cramped third-floor space in the Garrigus Building. Macy French, a graduate student, described the transformation. "I remember the tiny, almost shoebox of a room we had. And just getting to have all of this space where we can really start to lift off and continue to make community impact, but in a much more accessible way, it means the absolute world."

Alumni like Gavin Cooper, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in Community and Leadership Development, credit the lab with preparing them for professional success. Cooper worked on ONE Lexington gun violence initiatives, an experience he said gave him essential skills. "Engaging with the community gave me the soft skills to be able to convey the work I was doing, and talk to people about what mattered to them," Cooper said. "It just gave me a great toolkit to work with."

The lab's reach extends beyond Lexington. It has built partnerships across Kentucky, nationally and internationally, collaborating with institutions such as Purdue University and universities in Scotland. Still, Hains emphasizes the mission remains locally grounded. "We work here. We work in Kentucky. We work in Lexington," he said. "But we can also work nationally and internationally."