Increasing recognition of the role of social conditions in health has led to calls for methods that can be used to change social conditions. Popular education has demonstrated great promise as a methodology that can be used to address the underlying social and structural determinants of health. To date, most studies of popular education have used qualitative methods and case study designs, making them less compelling for decision makers. "La Palabra es Salud" (The Word Is Health) compared the relative effectiveness of popular and conventional education using a participatory, quasi-experimental, mixed methods design. Use of this model can enhance our understanding of popular education and raise its profile among researchers and practitioners in multiple disciplines, thus potentially extending its benefits.