Our Praxis
Wild Rose Education
Wild Rose Education (WRE) is a lean and nimble, effective, small business practice, woman-owned, Colorado Public Benefit Corporation established in 2015. Our praxis is the fusion of educational theory with equitable application, aiming to transform individuals into empowered civic leaders. We go beyond what has been and facilitate becoming what can be with environmental education program design, climate change empowerment, and experiential education trainings and workshops.
​
Our work focuses on moving people from passive observation to empowered action. Regional projects are common, but national collaborations have become a staple product of Wild Rose Education.
Wild Rose Education's Transformative Theory of Change
WRE's strategic model for fostering profound environmental stewardship involves a transformative praxis that unfolds across three interconnected phases:
​
-
Shift Perception: Cultivating Ethical Observation
This initial phase transforms how participants perceive the world, holding the core principle that ethical action begins with acute awareness.-
We explicitly teach people 'how to see' and 'to become better observers'.
-
This is achieved through an experiential model known as the "Workshop as Laboratory," which follows a cycle of experience, reflection, generalization, and application.
-
By honing curiosity and acute perception, we equip individuals with the fundamental skills of a scientist and a reflective citizen.
-
-
​Deepen Capacity: Integrating Knowledge and Justice
Once observation is refined, WRE equips participants with the complex knowledge and skills required for ethical leadership and systemic change.-
We use inclusive instructional design that consistently centers equity, inclusion, and Indigenous knowledge alongside western science in curriculum development.
-
We prepare participants to analyze and address complex challenges like climate change and resource equity by integrating a critical, systems-based lens.
-
We reinforce capacity building by facilitating high-level professional networks and mentoring early career professionals.
-
-
Mobilize Action: Empowering Civic Leadership
The final phase ensures that deep learning translates into measurable, collective engagement, achieving our ultimate goal of teaching people 'how to take action in the world'.-
Key outcomes include rigorous Climate Action Planning, integrating Environmental Action Civics, and fostering community resilience through public deliberation on controversial topics.
-
This phase utilizes Emergent Design principles to maximize teachable moments and guide participants toward civic action.
-
Core Pedagogical Strategies
WRE employs specific strategies to deliver hands-on, Direct Education, treating trainings as a Workshop as Laboratory:
-
Participant-Centered Learning & Emergent Design: Our programs are built on principles of responsiveness, adaptability, and flexibility, actively assessing the group's needs and interests to adjust the agenda in real-time. This ensures content is relevant and maximizes teachable moments.
-
Experiential Education: Our courses are built around fieldwork and authentic explorations. We use the outdoors extensively for kinesthetic and visual learning, and highly interactive online tools for auditory and social engagement, accommodating different learning styles.
-
Commitment to Equity and Inclusion: We explicitly address Difference & Diversity by embedding an equity and inclusion lens throughout all design and facilitation. This includes integrating concepts of climate justice and supporting participants in exploring diverse human experiences.
-
Learning as Risk Taking: We cultivate a supportive container that mitigates the inherent risk involved in deep personal and professional change, allowing participants to challenge their thinking, share openly, and gain the confidence necessary to become active environmental stewards and effective leaders.
The WRE Transformative Praxis Lab: Evaluation and Equity
The specialized environmental education (EE) evaluation services delivered by WRE, known as The WRE Transformative Praxis Lab, demonstrate our application of praxis. We practice evaluation as an instrument of power that actively advances equity and social justice.
Our evaluation work adheres to the rigorous principles of Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation (CREE).
Methodological Pillars of the Praxis Lab:
-
Deep Curiosity: This involves utilizing multiple perspectives and methods responsive to local cultures, histories, and traditions, such as soliciting Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for educational program design.
-
Authentic Engagement and Co-Creation: We mandate collaboration and inclusion during the evaluation process (Phase C: Co-Create Evaluation Plan). We commit to ethical compensation, recognizing the need to compensate individuals who co-create and participate in the evaluation to build trust and reciprocity.
-
Ongoing Reflection: This involves continuous critical reflection on biases and assumptions (reflexivity) to ensure the evaluation leads to continuous program improvement.
Driving Action Through Data:
To ensure findings lead to action, we utilize innovative knowledge sharing methods.
-
Data Walks are a crucial methodology we implement: these interactive sessions allow stakeholders and community residents to jointly review visual and textual data displays.
-
The Data Walk methodology levels the power dynamics between researchers and the community by granting community members ownership of the data through individualized interpretation, enabling them to make recommendations for program and policy changes.