Environmental justice in Utah is important for building a better future, sitting at the intersection of community history, rapid growth, water scarcity, air quality, and the lived realities of people who aren’t always included in statewide conversations. Tackling those challenges takes both community insight and the next generation of leaders who understand what this work looks like here, not just in theory, but on the ground.

That’s why we partnered with students in the University of Utah's SPARC Environmental Justice Lab and University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) in 2025. We wanted to create a space where students could learn by doing while helping us expand our reach into the communities we aim to serve through our work. The two student teams took on projects tied directly into our current work:

Team 1: Utah Renewable Communities Program (URC)

This group focused on community engagement strategies for the low-income assistance plan within the URC — a major effort to support 19 Utah communities, including Salt Lake City, in achieving their goal of 100%-net renewable electricity by 2030. Their work centered on understanding how rate‑payers think about clean energy, affordability, and the opt‑out provision that could influence the program’s long-term success, and how to engage communities around these topics. 

Team 2: SEF’s Home Energy Loan Program

This group dug into our home energy loan program, especially for Westside neighborhoods. They explored how to reach homeowners and contractors, what messages resonate, and how to design engagement strategies that actually meet people where they are.

From Theory to Practice: What Students Learned

The students got hands-on experience working directly with communities on important Utah-specific environmental justice topics. They got to see how EJ plays out in real life, from the data gaps, to the competing priorities, and the pivots that happen when community feedback changes the direction of a project.

They also got a front-row seat to how organizations like ours design programs and make decisions. One of the best examples came from the home energy loan team: they presented our planned engagement strategy to UNP’s Westside EJ Residents Committee and got thoughtful, candid feedback. The committee was excited about the program but suggested a different approach to outreach than we had originally planned. The students took that feedback seriously and adjusted their project for the rest of the semester, along with adjusting how future student groups approach this work too.

Fresh Perspectives: How Students Helped Us Go Deeper

Even though the students were not expected to produce polished deliverables, they brought real value to our work.

• They gave us extra capacity to go deeper on early‑stage outreach and community conversations.
• They brought fresh perspectives on how younger generations think about environmental justice.
• They offered creative ideas for youth engagement and communication that we wouldn’t have come up with on our own.
• And they helped strengthen our ties with the UofU’s EJ, planning, and sustainability programs.

A great example: the Utah Renewable Communities team developed relationship maps for the City to understand local, trusted community organizations — everything from local faith-based institutions to nonprofits and local businesses. That kind of detailed, place‑based insight is incredibly helpful for shaping future engagement, including for the next round of student teams.

Why Academic Partnerships Matter for EJ in Utah

Environmental justice work is highly place-based. Addressing these challenges requires a pipeline of practitioners who understand the local context and have experience working directly with communities.

Partnerships like this help build that pipeline. They give students a chance to learn from lived experience, not just lectures, and they help us stay grounded in the realities of the people we serve.

“Partnering with the University of Utah helps us deepen our community work while supporting the next generation of EJ leaders. The students brought curiosity, energy, and fresh ideas that strengthened our outreach. We’re proud to be a trusted partner in helping train Utah’s future practitioners.” — Shawna Gabriela Cuan, CEO at SustainEnergyFinance

“Giving students the chance to work directly with organizations like SEF is invaluable. They get to see how environmental justice plays out in real communities, and they learn to adapt their ideas based on real feedback. This partnership helps our students grow as practitioners while contributing to work that matters for Utah.” — Adrienne Cachelin, Associate Professor with the School for Environment, Society, and Sustainability at the University of Utah

This collaboration reflects a growing alignment between our mission and the U’s EJ program. It strengthens our applied learning, community engagement, and real‑world EJ work — and it opens the door for future collaborations, internships, and research partnerships.

We’re committed to continuing partnerships that build student capacity and deepen community‑centered EJ work. The next generation of EJ leaders is already here, and we’re proud to work alongside them.

If you’re a student, faculty member, or community partner interested in working together, we’d love to connect (connect@sustainenergyfinance.org).