Kaiser Permanente Praxis Lab on Redefining Health an Wellness
This Praxis Lab challenged the traditional, restrictive perceptions of health and wellness by exploring how to make healthy choices enjoyable and accessible. Students examined the seven dimensions of health—social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual, and physical—and reflected on how these dimensions are defined and valued across different communities.
In the second half of the course, students worked in groups to design impactful, community-based projects aimed at improving health and wellness. Projects ranged from creating initiatives to provide healthier food options on campus to developing innovative methods for teaching health in schools and enhancing public transportation use for better community health.
Instructors:
Julie Metos
Nicole Mihalopoulous, MD
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.