The Transformative Praxis Lab: Environmental Equity Evaluation
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Wild Rose Education establishes The Transformative Praxis Lab at the intersection of action, rigor, and equity. Our organizational mission is to move individuals toward "becoming what can be", and this Lab is the critical engine ensuring that environmental programs lead to measurable, just, and sustained change.
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This practice fuses the rigor of educational theory with equitable application, supporting WRE's core goal of teaching people 'how to see' and 'how to take action in the world'.
Anchoring Evaluation in Action and Equity
The Lab is grounded in the principles of Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation (CREE) and systematically applies WRE’s methodology for transformation.
Praxis: Fusing Theory with Application
Praxis is our commitment to merging program design (theory) with equitable data methods (application) to achieve transformative outcomes. We begin by developing or describing a clear theory of change for our clients, applying a "systems lens" to systematically query assumptions and ensure strategies focus on root causes rather than just symptoms, advancing environmental and community equity.
Lab: Systematic Rigor and Learning
The Lab signifies a rigorous, systematic approach to measurement and continuous learning. We define quality evaluation by balancing technical mechanics with the crucial socio-political, ethical, and community considerations. This focus supports the value of the ongoing journey, fostering continuous growth and critical reflection on biases.
Equitable Methods: Deep Curiosity
We practice deep curiosity, drawing on multiple perspectives and methods responsive to local cultures, histories, and traditions. This includes valuing contexts, integrating diverse forms of knowledge (including Indigenous knowledges), and utilizing culturally appropriate methods such as interviews, drawings, or photovoice—moving beyond traditional, closed-ended surveys.
Community-Centered: Authentic Engagement
We prioritize authentic engagement, which mandates collaboration, inclusivity, and capacity building. This means co-creating the evaluation plan with community partners and ensuring ethical practice, including appropriate compensation for partners, recognizing that investment builds trust. We are also committed to language justice, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to communicate in the language they feel most comfortable with.
Driving Transformation: From Data to Collective Action
The ultimate purpose of the Transformative Praxis Lab is to mobilize action and systems change. We ensure the knowledge generated is accessible to and usable by the community to support influence, advocacy, and a shift of power.
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We utilize data walks, an innovative and interactive way to share data with communities. This methodology displays data visually and textually at "stations" for participants (residents, providers, researchers) to interpret and discuss. This collaborative process is crucial because it helps demystify research, levels power dynamics, and grants community members ownership of the data through their individualized interpretations. This empowerment helps residents ground their personal experiences in larger community data and take action in partnership with other stakeholders.
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By leveraging our expertise in program design, professional development, and capacity building, the Lab provides environmental education evaluation services that are technically robust and fundamentally centered on advancing equitable and meaningful change.