NIC X-Labs

North Idaho College

NIC X-Labs

Where learners, educators, community, and industry solve real-world challenges together.

Start a projectExplore X-Labs

What is NIC X-Labs?

NIC X-Labs is a civic innovation lab where the college and the community solve real problems side by side.

Teams of students and faculty take on challenges brought by community and industry partners, and work them through a design-thinking process — from listening all the way to sharing.

The X is the intersection — of people, ideas, disciplines, and challenges. It's never drawn on its own; it's what shows up when those things cross.

Who it's for

Four ways into the same room.

Students

Work on real projects, build portfolio experience, and learn from faculty, partners, and peers.

I'm a student

Faculty

Bring interdisciplinary projects and connect coursework to community needs across programs.

I'm faculty

Community

Submit challenges and access student and faculty creativity to build local solutions.

I have a challenge

Industry

Sponsor projects, mentor students, identify future talent, and support workforce development.

I want to partner

How it works

Six moves, start to finish.

  1. 01

    Listen

    Understand the people a challenge affects.

  2. 02

    Define

    Frame the real problem worth solving.

  3. 03

    Ideate

    Generate many possible directions.

  4. 04

    Build

    Make something real enough to react to.

  5. 05

    Test

    Put it in front of people and learn.

  6. 06

    Share

    Hand off the work and what it taught us.

Featured projects

The proof is the work.

A few recent challenges, the teams behind them, and what changed because of the work.
Community ImpactCompleted

Trailhead wayfinding for city parks

Hikers couldn't tell trails apart at the trailhead — no consistent signage, no map system.

Partner
City Parks & Recreation
Team
5 students · 2 faculty
Disciplines
Graphic Design, Communication
Outcome
A sign system installed at four trailheads; the department adopted the template for new trails.
TechnologyActive

Inventory app for the campus food pantry

The pantry tracked stock on paper and routinely ran short on staples without warning.

Partner
NIC Food Pantry
Team
4 students · 1 faculty
Disciplines
Computer & Information Technology, Business
Outcome
A working low-stock dashboard in pilot use; restock trips dropped from reactive to planned.
Design & MediaCompleted

Brand system for a local maker co-op

A new co-op of twelve makers had no shared identity and no way to present as one storefront.

Partner
Lake City Makers
Team
3 students · 1 faculty
Disciplines
Graphic Design
Outcome
A flexible identity and signage kit now used across the co-op's market booths and online shop.
See all projects

The job of a learner

What we ask of everyone in the room.

Listening deeply

Starting from the people and the problem, not the solution.

Empowering others

Building capacity in the people and partners around the work.

Analyzing challenges

Breaking a messy situation down into something workable.

Matching resources with needs

Connecting what the college has with what the community needs.

Ways to get involved

Pick a door.

Bring a challenge

Submit a real-world problem for a team to take on.

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Join a project

Students and faculty can join an active project team.

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Attend a workshop

Learn the design-thinking tools X-Labs runs on.

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Partner with NIC

Sponsor, mentor, and help shape the work.

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Upcoming events

Come see what's on the wall.

  • May 20, 2026

    Open lab hours

    Drop in, see what's on the wall, and talk through an idea with the team.

    X-Labs studio

    Open lab hours
  • May 27, 2026

    Design thinking workshop: empathy interviews

    A hands-on session on listening deeply — how to interview the people a challenge actually affects.

    X-Labs studio

    Workshop
  • Jun 3, 2026

    Community challenge session

    Community partners bring real problems; teams form around the ones worth solving.

    X-Labs studio

    Challenge session
  • Jun 12, 2026

    Spring project demo day

    Teams show what they built this term and what changed because of the work.

    Student Union Building

    Demo day
All events

Partner & community proof

The work matters because someone is waiting for it.

“The team didn't hand us a concept — they handed us something we could install. That's rare.”
Project lead — City Parks & Recreation
“Students treated our pantry like a real client. The dashboard is something we use every week.”
Coordinator — NIC Food Pantry
“X-Labs gave our coursework somewhere to land. The work matters because someone is waiting for it.”
Faculty member — Graphic Design program
City Parks & RecreationNIC Food PantryCoeur d'Alene Public LibraryRegional Workforce CouncilDowntown AssociationGraphic Design programComputer & Information Technology program

Have a challenge worth solving?

Let's start a conversation.

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