The roots to grow &
The space to fly
The Culture Lab
What Makes Our Approach Unique
At The Culture Lab, we believe that when children step into someone else’s shoes through acting, design their own solutions through creative projects, or practice friendship skills through guided play, they’re not just having fun—they’re developing the emotional intelligence and confidence that will serve them for life. Every program is designed with small class sizes, age-appropriate techniques, and a focus on celebrating each child’s unique strengths while building the social-emotional foundation every child deserves.
Our two-track approach nurtures young creators through interconnected pathways that build authentic voice, cultural awareness, and creative problem-solving skills. Students can explore character development and storytelling in our Authentic Voice pathway, dive into design thinking and creative solutions in our Creative Design pathway, or experience both while building community in our weekly Culture Lab Club.
We are a local small business that hosts creative and recreational activities with the aim of exploring community while fostering an experience of play for all to connect, learn, discover, and grow. In the process, we look forward to fostering a catalog of programming that reflects you, your interests, and your passions—workshops and events for young and old to come together and have fun.
The Culture Lab
Whether your child is a natural storyteller, a creative problem-solver, or somewhere in between, these programs meet them exactly where they are. My approach is warm, patient, and playful—because learning should feel like an adventure, not a chore. Our two-track system creates a comprehensive learning journey that grows with your child.
Whether you start with one of our foundational classes or dive into our weekly Culture Lab Club, each experience builds the foundation for the next adventure.
Authentic Voice Path: Building Character Through Story & Connection
Characters & Choices: Finding Your Authentic Voice (Ages 9-12)
Ready to become a character creator and explore how emotions shape the choices we make? In this creative workshop, you’ll build your own character using techniques real actors use, then watch them come to life in surprise scenarios! Using your voice, body, and imagination, you’ll discover how understanding characters helps us understand ourselves.
Format: Weekly 60-minute sessions
Investment: $20 per class
Creative Design Path: Planning & Problem-Solving with Purpose
Creative Design Thinking: From Idea to Impact (Ages 9-12)
Ever dreamed of turning your ideas into something you can build or share? Learn to think like a designer by considering your audience, exploring different ways to communicate ideas, and making designs both beautiful and functional. You’ll plan your own creative project while discovering how design thinking impacts our everyday lives.
Format: Weekly 60-minute sessions
Investment: $20 per class
Culture Lab- Weekly Club
A weekly creative community where young artists and storytellers come together to share work, tackle mini-challenges, and build friendships through collaborative character and design projects. Perfect complement to our pathway classes or as a standalone creative club experience.
Format: Weekly 45-minute sessions
Investment: $15 per class
Why Culture Lab Works
Small Learning Communities
With class sizes of 6-8 students (clubs up to 12), every child receives personalized attention while building meaningful peer connections.
Flexible Growth Pathways
Start with intro classes, add our community club, progress to deeper explorations, and join monthly workshops—all designed to work together or standalone.
Real Skills for Life
From empathy and authentic voice to creative problem-solving and cultural awareness, these aren’t just “fun classes”—they’re foundational life skills disguised as play.
For Organizations & Partners
Looking to bring enriching programming to your community? At The Culture Lab we love partnering with libraries, community centers, schools, and organizations to offer our skills-based classes and workshops. Our programs are:
- Designed for small groups (6-12 students)
- Flexible in format (weekly classes, workshop series, or one-time events)
- Built on social-emotional learning and creative development
- Led by a trained actor and cultural sustainability ethnographer
Interested in hosting Culture Lab programming? Let’s talk about what would serve your community. Contact us at Mallorie@FrankandEthels.com
Hi! My name is Mallorie.
I’m the Ethel side of Frank & Ethel’s. I grew up in Howard County, Maryland, and have always believed our communities need more spaces where genuine connection happens naturally—through play, creativity, and shared discovery.
My formal training includes theater studies at NYU’s Playwright’s Horizon Theater Studio (acting and design) and a Master of Arts in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College. Through this work, I’ve fostered a deep curiosity for exploring how creative play builds authentic connection—between people, communities, and the stories that shape who we are.
The Culture Lab brings this work to life through programs where children develop emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving, and cultural awareness in ways that feel like adventure, not instruction.
I believe that learning happens best when it feels like play, and that the most meaningful experiences honor both who we are and who we’re becoming. I’d love to connect about bringing Culture Lab programming to your family or organization. Connect with us today! Mallorie@FrankandEthels.com
HoCo Culture Lab becomes The Culture Lab
HoCo stands for Howard County, and Howard County, Maryland is our home. It’s where Erik and Mallorie met and began their journey to starting Frank & Ethel’s. We’re inspired by food culture, and that extends to an appreciation of not just great chefs, but the incredible farms and markets that serve as their backbone. We also believe that as a community, we could use more opportunities for cultivating genuine connections with one another—and that’s what we look forward to providing here.
This space is inspired by Mallorie’s parents’ annual Christmas Eve open house, where strangers over the years became cherished friends. We need more of that, and that’s what we’re aiming to create for you and those who matter most to you.
While we initially launched this segment of work as HoCo Culture Lab in 2024, we’ve expanded to welcome a wider community. Through our classes, events and gatherings, we hope to foster a culture that shifts conversations from “What do you do?” and “Who do you know?” to “What’s on your mind?” and “What sparks your joy?” We’re daring to be that earnest, and we look forward to creating space for others to join us in the process.
Lab stands for the journey of discovery—and while our initial programming is geared towards youth, we recognize many adults are also on this continued journey. In our understanding of culture, it is as much about recognizing and celebrating our shared traditions that bring people together, but also all the interplay and dynamics that exist when humans human in shared spaces every day and these are the places, we love discovering most. We believe we could all use more fun opportunities to navigate this journey of living with others and opportunities to gain deeper understandings of ourselves and the power we all have within.
Frank & Ethel's
Frank & Ethel’s is a family company that focuses on microgreens, vintage housewares & design, while exploring culture, community, and play.
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