![For large Syrian families, the spaces that they share often mean living in very close proximity to one another.In a former chicken barn in Mafraq, Jordan a collection of Syrian families have taken up residence.Although the building is old and the converted apartments basic, still each family must pay monthly around $250. The bathrooms and kitchens abbut one another and many people share the same sleeping rooms. / UNHCR / J. Kohler / August 2014](http://innovation.unhcr.org/wp-content/uploads/RAIS_RF21834_61874-170x170.jpg)
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Applying user-centered design and prototyping to humanitarian problem-solving
Innovation Labs are collaborative virtual spaces shared by UNHCR Innovation and divisions within UNHCR. Labs are also experimental and adaptive. This means that the work of the Lab doesn’t end when we find a solution. Rather, we aim to constantly refine that solution, get feedback from the end-user (refugees), and iterate.
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Learn Lab
Expands educational opportunities for refugees and the forcibly displaced through new approaches to learning.
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Link Lab
Connects refugees and displaced communities, UNHCR, external partners to one another through information communications technologies.
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Energy Lab
Finds the most suitable technology to meet the energy needs of refugees and those forcibly displaced at the community level.
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Where we work
Innovation Labs are not tied to a geographical location. Rather, they focus on a particular thematic area, like Energy or Education. Through the Labs, projects are prototyped and tested in UNHCR operations around the world, depending on operational needs and context.
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