PRAXIS – Building Knowledge for Action – works with organizations and groups to help them find and create the knowledge they need to improve their services and projects, to envision and develop new ones, and to take informed action to address change. We achieve these goals through program evaluation, community-based research, educational workshops, and other specialized services.
PRAXIS really took us out to the community. To find out what the true interests of neighbors were for the cafe and shared-use kitchen at Burns Street Square, PRAXIS organized and evaluated the results of a door-to-door, face-to-face, neighborhood outreach survey. This was a great example of building from the grass roots.

Bob Oaks, Executive Director – North Missoula Community Development Corporation

Community-based Research

Community-based research is community organizing, group work, research, and policy development all rolled into one approach. It is an approach to research where participants pool their expertise and resources, develop new relationships and skills, and build a foundation for actions that will promote sustainable community change.

PRAXIS works with groups, organizations and communities to:

  • Conduct needs and assets assessments
  • Inform and build support for practical actions to enhance communities
  • Plan a systematic process for gathering information and analyzing community issues
  • Involve a broad range of community stakeholders
  • Use participatory and collaborative processes to focus issues, decide methods, generate results, and build new partnerships

Finding Solutions to Food Insecurity

A community-based research project whose goal was to investigate the opportunities for and barriers to food security and to gain a voice in the policy decision making process for community residents with first hand experience of poverty and food insecurity. Community residents conducted interviews with service program administrators, facilitated town hall meetings with service users and service providers, and administered surveys to service program staff and people with limited access to resources. Learn More »