Causes: Health, Public Health

Mission: To improve health and health outcomes in communities nationwide at the local level to increase the capacity of communities to become effective advocates so that they are leaders and catalysts on the policy decisions that affect their lives.

Programs: Ensuring healthy children and families: praxis project works with local partners nationwide to reduce childhood obesity in communities hardest hit by the epidemic. Accomplishments include: 1) extensive public awareness campaigns to educate key community actors on environmental approaches to childhood obesity prevention; 2) a national program and support center for advocacy network development, and coalition building to address childhood obesity; 3) training and technical assistance to more than 40 community-based organization; and, 4) development of resource materials to support prevention activities in english and spanish.

capacity building and building power initiatives: serving more than 200 organizations each year, praxis project's capacity building initiatives ("cbi") provide training, technical assistance and strategic consultation to national networks, community groups and local service agencies working to build healthier communities. Cbi programs include a residential training series titled "praxis learning circles," support for peer learning and exchanges and curricula development. Building capacity for policy advocacy to advance diversity in the health professions ("dhp") is a pilot program that works with three dhp organizations and statewide networks to strengthen the capacity of their students and parents to engage in community organizing and policy change at the school site and district level.

everybody at the table for health ("eat4health"): eat4health is a national leadership development initiative to help communities develop collaborations to build healthy, sustainable food systems. Its focus is on supporting community based organizations in low income communities. Four local organizations and four national organizations receive grants, training, peer exchanges and other support.

meta messaging project: the project works through forums, skill building sessions, research and collaborative strategy development to forge cross cutting, progressive communications frames while working to expand progressive infrastructure for disseminating messages. The latest publication is called, fair game: a strategy guide for racial justice communications in the obama era.