Praxis Labs at the Honors College are designed to push learning beyond the classroom. Each year, Honors College students come together across disciplines to tackle complex, real-world problems through collaborative, year-long projects.
While the labs themselves may last only two semesters, their impact often extends far beyond graduation, shaping communities, institutions, and ongoing programs across Utah and beyond.
Over the years, Praxis Labs have proven to be powerful incubators for ideas that grow into lasting initiatives. Two of the most enduring examples are the Utah Prison Education Project and Connect2Health, both of which began as student-driven Praxis Labs and continue to serve communities today.
From Classroom to Correctional Facility: Utah Prison Education Project
The Utah Prison Education Project (UPEP) traces its roots to the 2016–2017 Praxis Lab Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment. In this lab, students examined the realities of mass incarceration, with a particular focus on access to education within the prison system. Through research, community partnerships, and direct engagement, students identified education as a critical pathway toward opportunity and rehabilitation.
When the Praxis Lab ended, the work did not. The project evolved into UPEP, which continues to operate today as a comprehensive prison education program. UPEP now offers college-level courses, workshops, and academic support to incarcerated students at the Utah State Correctional Facility. What began as a student research initiative has grown into a nationally recognized program advancing educational equity, advocacy, and reentry support. This project is still ongoing today and continues to create change.
UPEP stands as a powerful example of how Praxis Labs give students the tools and experience to create meaningful, lasting change. Students were not only studying justice systems, they were actively helping to reshape them.
Improving Health Through Connection: Connect2Health
Another enduring program born from a Praxis Lab is Connect2Health, which originated in the 2011–2012 lab American Indian Patient Experience. In this lab, students partnered with community organizations and healthcare providers to better understand barriers faced by American Indian patients within healthcare systems.
The lab’s work laid the foundation for Connect2Health, a program that partners with clinics to address social determinants of health. Today, Connect2Health connects patients with community resources through personalized “resource prescriptions,” helping individuals access services related to housing, food security, transportation, and more. By strengthening the connection between healthcare providers and community support networks, the program continues to improve patient outcomes and experiences.
Connect2Health demonstrates how Praxis Labs encourage students to think holistically, centering community voices and translating research into action.
Transformative Learning Through Collaboration and Practice
These programs are not isolated successes. Many Praxis Labs produce outcomes that influence policy discussions, inform community practices, and generate public-facing resources. From environmental initiatives focused on the Great Salt Lake to projects addressing mental health, equity, and public health, Praxis Labs consistently empower students to apply academic knowledge to pressing societal challenges.
A defining feature of the Praxis model is collaboration. Students work closely with faculty mentors, peers from diverse academic backgrounds, and community partners. This high-level collaboration mirrors professional environments and prepares students for careers in research, public service, healthcare, law, and beyond.
Students often describe Praxis Labs as some of the most meaningful experiences of their undergraduate careers. Faculty note the exceptional quality of student work and the creativity that emerges when students are trusted with complex, real-world problems.
Learning That Lasts Beyond the Classroom
The success of programs like UPEP and Connect2Health highlights what makes Praxis Labs unique. These courses create momentum, build projects that continue to evolve, and serve communities long after the academic year concludes.
Praxis Labs embody the Honors College commitment to engaged learning, civic responsibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration. By giving students the opportunity to do work that matters, Praxis Labs ensure that education is not only transformative for students, but also impactful for the world beyond campus.
Seeing Praxis Labs in Action: Next Steps
The impact of Praxis Labs extends beyond past successes. Each year, students continue to develop ambitious, community-engaged projects through this model. Many of which are still in progress. The Honors Student Showcase on April 15, 2026, offers students, faculty, and campus and community partners the opportunity to see this work firsthand. At the Showcase, current Praxis Labs teams will present their projects, share insights from their collaborations, and reflect on how their ideas are translating into real-world impact. Much like UPEP and Connect2Health in their early stages, these projects represent the next generation of student-driven initiatives shaping communities beyond the classroom.
To learn more about the current and past Praxis Labs, visit the Honors College Praxis Labs webpage.
Tia Wisco | Journalism Intern, University of Utah Honors College