About the EMI Challenge These are panelist perspectives on the EMI and advice to applicants. I am Rachel Carr, a summer intern at the EPA, and I'm exploring what the Educate, Motivate, Innovate Initiative is. We will hear from students who participated in the EMI Initiative last year. We spoke with these students just after presenting their research at the National Environmental Justice Conference. You will hear excerpts from these conversations about what the Initiative is, what it means, and how to develop a project. So what is the EMI Challenge? The Educate, Motivate, Innovate (EMI) Initiative unites passionate students with change minded peers and established leaders from across the country. Undergraduate and graduate students attending Minority-Serving Institutions may apply to participate in the EMI Initiative. Pervious participant, Carol Ramos, shared what it meant to her to present at the EMI National Environmental Justice Conference. (Carol) What the National Environmental Justice Conference provides is a space. A space for minorities to speak loudly in front of many leaders of environmental justice and environmental federal agencies that are related to that topic. That we can guide them without vision, with our understanding about the future which is probably different because they have lived a different context The EMI encourages students to develop projects that explore the relationships between public health disparities, cultural and traditional practices and economic development, and environmental justice (EJ) communities. Students create projects from environmental justice work they are already involved in. The EMI Initiative presents an opportunity to write a proposal, develop a project, and publicly present it to officials. Previous student, Carol, recommended the following: (Carol) Find a topic that is of their interest, to turn it into something could be presented, and learn from that process. Presenting is a goal but the experience before that presentation is very important. Like Carol said, the EMI Initiative does much more than provide a platform for youth voices. This professional experience in environmental justice encourages young people to sustain their work in environmental justice. Former participant Ashley Logan emphasizes the importance of strengthening the community. (Ashley) Yes, my advice is keep going. If we didn't really post or make aware of these situations then no one would know Part of making others aware of their work is bring their research other. These students learn from each other's work and become a part of each other's network. More than sustaining their own work, the EMI Initiative establishes connections between the work of student leaders and the actors in the Intergovernmental Work Group on Environmental Justice.