Critical Design
Meet other local people interested in Critical Design: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Critical Design group.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out critical design events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the critical design events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find critical design events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Critical Design Events Today
Join in-person Critical Design events happening right now
Scanning Tunneling Microscope - Lab Day - Scanning and Post Processing Images #6
Today we are Steve's Lab. RSVP and you'll be sent the location. It's in Silver Spring.
***Join us for an evening in an electronics lab where we will attempt to run clean scans of gold samples, and then clean up that data with post processing.*** This is a high sensitivity experiment, and we do not plan on being successful so early. But we've had promising results lately - so we will be putting in the time. We are NOT meeting at our usual location, but rather at Steve's house/lab.
If you RSVP, you will get a DM with the address but it's located in Silver Spring.
We will attempt full, clean lab - clean tip repeated scanning tests to see what we can learn and improve. We will experiment with online attendees, but if all possible showing up in person is strongly encouraged. Online join link is: - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers)
Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months.
The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands.
Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms.
To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g)
All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world.
We will be publishing our work here -[ https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda](https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda)
If you need a ride, let us know.
Fun & easy way to play more tennis (read event description)
We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches.
These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun!
Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up:
https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/silver-spring-md/meetup/
If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works.
Happy hitting!
- Scott
Hardware Hacking Night
Want to mess with some electronics? Or perhaps contribute to HacDC's main group project?
HacDC's latest event brings hardware projects to the community. We will focus primarily on the main project (Space Blimp!) but please feel free to bring some of your own projects to show off and work on!
Swahili- Foreigner Level
\#\# A low\-cost\, 6\-week beginner\-level Swahili course with the non\-profit organization\, the Global Language Network\.
Ready to dive into the world of Swahil? Join our fun and interactive class designed especially for those new to the language.
**Details**
Swahili Foreigner with Hamisi
Mondays from 5:30pm - 7:30pm ET
April 9th to May 14th
In-person, Farragut Square DC
Ready to learn? **Register [HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem9IdJEYqsE91SvfEEjIe8FuvoAjOusgE2ab_qkvm3apyjzg/viewform).**
**Additional Information**
* GLN classes are open to everyone over 18 years of age.
* Have a credit or stipend to apply to your payment? Learn more about our credit, stipend, and refund policy on the [Pricing & Course Levels page.](https://thegln.org/pricing-%26-course-levels)
**About GLN**
We are a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to "Use Language as a Tool to Help Fix Our World." Since 2015 we have been rated #1 Best Language Classes in Washington, DC by Yelp! We are so happy and grateful to have you join our network and we appreciate your support of our mission.
April Book Swap at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library!
**🎉 Book Swap: Bring Your Books to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library! 📚**
📅 **Date:** Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
🕒 **Time:** 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
📍 **Location:** Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001
**🪧 Room:** 401-G Conference Room
**Agenda:**
* **6:30 PM - 6:45 PM** \- Check\-in and chat
* **6:45 PM - 7:00 PM** \- Introductions
* **7:00 PM - 8:30 PM** \- Book swap
**Please note**:
* Gently used books are ideal for swapping.
* If a book you bring isn’t swapped, you are responsible for taking it home.
* This is a “stay-and-swap” event, so please join with the intention of engaging and connecting with the group.
Fun & easy way to play more tennis (please read event description for details)
We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches.
These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun!
Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up:
https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/arlington-va/meetup/
If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works.
Happy hitting!
- Scott
On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ every Thursday at 6 pm
• What we'll do
On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy....
Critical Design Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Insight Meditation of Northern Virginia
**LOCATION CHANGE as of APRIL 1, 2026:**
**Body Grace has moved to 133 Maple Avenue East, 3rd Floor, above the Bear Branch Tavern.**
Whether you're new to Insight meditation or an advanced practitioner looking for like-minded people to sit with, you're welcome to join us at our Sunday morning drop-in group, sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. Meditation practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind.
This class includes a 30-minute lightly-guided meditation, followed by a short talk and time for questions and discussion. The size of the group usually runs somewhere between 25-40 people in-person and between 12-25 online. Chairs are provided, or you may bring a sitting cushion or bench. You may also use the blankets and bolsters offered by the yoga studio.
**We offer both in-person and online attendance.**
To learn more about our topics and teachers, view our videos or **get the Zoom link**, visit our [class page](https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=735&utm_source=MeetUp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vienna-drop-in).
Sunday Code & Coffee - Apr 26
**☕ Code & Coffee \| Black Code Collective**
Pull up, plug in, and enjoy some good company.
Join us for a chill Sunday coworking session — bring your laptop and your current project (or no project at all). All skill levels welcome.
**Free to attend. Coffee & treats provided. Just show up.**
📅 **Sunday, April 26** 🕙 **10:30 AM – 12:30 PM** 📍 **Falls Church, VA**
Please note that we would be located on the 5th floor with the listed address below.
105 W Broad St, Suite #410 · Falls Church, VA 22046
Merry-Bus-Go-Round!
D.C.'s tourist buses ply a small, predictable circle around the monumental downtown. D.C.'s Metrobuses, on the other hand, make a dramatic sweep around the whole city. Join us for the better of the two rides!
We'll start at beautiful transit hub Union Station, take the D80 up to Tenleytown in Upper Northwest; then the crosstown C81 across the park to Ft. Totten; and finally the D30 down North Capitol street to return to Union Station. We'll have lunch in the station's food court.
Bonus: travel bingo cards will be distributed for those who want even more from their transit outing!
Hope you all can make it!
Brunch Club @ Union Market
Join Women & Gender eXpansive Coders DC for brunch at Union Market!
We will get a large picnic table outside the main Union Market building.
Come for 30 minutes or for the whole time. Meet fellow tech women and nonbinary folx over a cup of coffee or a meal from one of Union Market's many tasty restaurants.
Getting there:
Union Market is a short walk from the NoMa-Gallaudet University metro (Red line). Parking is usually available in the lot in front of the market, or on the street, although street parking can fill up on busy weekends.
Creative Serging Technique Demos
Visit Artistic Artifacts on Saturday, April 25 from 1:00–4:00 pm for live demonstrations on our BERNINA sergers/overlock machines! Our BERNINA staff will be demonstrating on several of the machines, sharing lots of ideas of how useful these machines can be in your sewing room. April is **[BERNINA National Serger Month](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/promo)**, so **stop by and see how these machines have advanced from the sergers of yesteryear that we all loved to avoid!**
This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and see what a serger can do for you. Not only do BERNINA Sergers trim, sew, and finish seams simultaneously, but they also come with built-in tutorials, so every change is effortless. Quilters can use the serger straight stitch with endless bobbin for piecing patchwork, perfect binding and more. Built-in features give you unexpected precision and creativity with innovative techniques and texture! (*Note*, if you are thinking about upgrading, Artistic Artifacts does accept trade-ins of your older model serger.)
Neurodivergent-Friendly Vision Board Meetup
Must sign-up on[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neurodivergent-friendly-vision-board-meetup-tickets-198736953979)[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neurodivergent-friendly-vision-board-meetup-tickets-1987369539792). Tickets are free for [Constellations](https://www.harringtonmatchmaking.com/constellations-membership) members.
Led by Lisa from **Day/Shift Creative**, you’ll make a **vision board** — a collage of images and words that represent things you want in your life.
We will provide **everything** you need:
Magazines to look through
Boards to build your collage
Scissors, glue, and supplies
You can go at your own pace. There is no right or wrong way to do this. You do not need to be “artistic.”
The space is semi-private with long shared tables. There will be background noise and people around, so this may not be a good fit if you prefer a quiet, non-crowded environment.
Must sign-up on[ ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neurodivergent-friendly-vision-board-meetup-tickets-198736953979)[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neurodivergent-friendly-vision-board-meetup-tickets-1987369539792). Tickets are free for [Constellations](https://www.harringtonmatchmaking.com/constellations-membership) members.
Critical Design Events Near You
Connect with your local Critical Design community
American Sign Language Beginners Meetup Group
We meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able!
Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!
Agile Coaching Circle -- IN-PERSON
Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to:
* develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment
* share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other
* learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas
***NOTE:*** Pre-registration is required for this event. **Please arrive 10 minutes early** to check in at the security desk.
Walk for Children - 2026 Save Soil Walkathon in Columbus
Walk for Children - 2026 Save Soil Walkathon in Columbus 🌍
Over 52% of the world soil is degraded and scientists warn we may have only a few decades of fertile soil left. As Sadhguru shares, soil is a living system—and when it degrades, our food, health, and future are at risk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyT-6qiubd0
🚶♂️🌎This Earth Day, Join the Walk for Children-2026 SaveSoil 5K Walkathon here in Columbus and help raise awareness about soil for the future of our children!
Every step you take helps:
✔️ 1. Raise awareness in your communities about protecting and restoring soil.
✔️ 2. Supports sustainable food systems.
✔️ 3. Helps secure our children’s future.
📅 Date: April 26, 2026
📍 Location: Scioto Audubon Metro Park
Check-in address 400 W Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43215
⏰ Time: 8:30 a.m. check-in event starts at 9:30 a.m.
👉 Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walk-for-children-2026-save-soil-walkathon-in-columbus-registration-1986596534713?aff=oddtdtcreator
👉🏼Free and Open to All.
Share this message and bring your neighbours, friends & family along to celebrate our planet!
Let’s make it happen!
What If Your AI Could Be a Team? - Chad Green
**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you.
The building address is 4450 Bridge Park
The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400
You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge.
**Abstract**
GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise.
We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration.
Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team.
**YouTube Link**
TBD
The Story So Far: A WiA Reflection Circle
A WiA Collective Wisdom Exchange
At the start of this year, we gathered to look back, set intentions, and imagine the next chapter.
This is the follow-up.
Not a check-in. Not a progress report. A small, facilitated circle to reconnect with what you said mattered — and honestly explore what’s actually happening now.
Together, we’ll explore:
• What you intended at the start of this year - and what that looks like three months in
• What’s surprised you, supported you, or shifted
• What the next chapter needs now that you know what you know
If you were at our January gathering, bring whatever you made or wrote — your word, your artifact, your intention. We’ll look at it with fresh eyes. If this is your first time, you belong here too. You’ll start where we all started: with what’s true right now.
Optional art materials will be available for anyone who wants to reflect creatively alongside conversation. If you brought something home from January, you’re warmly invited to bring it back.
The intention is the same as always: everyone leaves feeling more clear, more connected, and a little lighter.
Space is intentionally limited to keep the experience intimate.
What to Expect
• A small, welcoming circle (not a large meetup)
• Structured conversation so everyone has space to speak
• Reflection, listening, and lived experience — not advice-giving
• Optional creative reflection alongside conversation
• A calm, supportive environment
Who This Is For
Women and underrepresented folks working in or around agile, product, technology, leadership, or organizational change — especially those looking for honest conversation and community beyond frameworks and buzzwords.
Good to Know
• No preparation required
• If you attended in January, we invite you to bring anything you created or wrote (or something that represents your intention at the start of the year) - it’s optional but invited
• Participation is invitational; listening is always welcome
• Creative activities are optional





















