Community Leadership
This Praxis Lab explored innovative approaches to fostering grassroots community leadership. Students worked alongside residents of Salt Lake City's west side through their participation in the Westside Leadership Institute (WLI), gaining firsthand experience in community organizing and leadership development.
As part of their work, students launched impactful initiatives, including a "winter wear" project to support local families and the organization of Utah’s first Spanish-language Autism conference—the second of its kind in the nation. Their efforts raised awareness about Autism within the Latino community and created lasting change.
The success of this Praxis Lab extended beyond the classroom, as students continued their advocacy work, leading to the establishment of The Utah Autism Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Autism community.
More Praxis Labs
Infectious Disease on the Run
Margaret P. Battin, PhD
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD
This Praxis Lab examined the history, science, and ethical implications of pandemics, from the Black Plague to COVID-19. Students analyzed how diseases spread, the social and political responses to outbreaks, and the ethical considerations of public health interventions.
How We Die
Margaret P. Battin, PhD
This Praxis Lab explored the evolving landscape of death and dying in the modern world, examining the shift from infectious disease mortality to prolonged battles with degenerative illnesses like cancer, heart failure, and dementia.
Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment
Erin Castro
Roberto Garcia
This Praxis Lab examined the deep connections between education, incarceration, and justice in the United States, a country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Students explored the historical and systemic forces that have expanded the carceral state, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.