Thank you, Muskan Walia!

We were lucky to have Muskan Walia as the Environmental Humanities Program Spring 2024 Community Practitioner in Residence. Muskan, a dedicated youth activist and organizer for Utah Youth for Environmental Solutions (UYES), brought her invaluable expertise to our students, inspiring them to explore the intersections between academic institutions and community organizations.

In the beginning of the semester, Muskan led a workshop providing an overview of UYES’s approach to grassroots organizing. The workshop prompted students to think about their roles within academia and how to use their resources to ethically collaborate with community organizations. Throughout the semester Muskan engaged with students in discussions on community engaged research and relationships to create a resource list for future students.

In a public talk titled “Knowledge is Power: Where Academic Institutions and Grassroots Movements Meet”, Muskan discussed the reciprocal model of research and relationships building between UYES and the Environmental Humanities Program, a project that began with Maria Archibald in 2020. Additionally, during Earth Month, Muskan participated in a Hinckley Institute panel to discuss the role of activism in building a resilient community in response to the climate crisis.

Towards the end of the semester, Muskan and Fiona facilitated a gathering where UYES youth and EH students came together to share their passions and interests, further strengthening relationships and fostering collaboration.

Overall, Muskan has been an excellent addition to the Environmental Humanities Program for the Spring 2024 semester, and we are immensely grateful for her time and knowledge shared with our students. We look forward to nurturing our relationship with UYES and supporting their various community efforts, including their Environmental Justice Education Training Program.

We wish Muskan Walia the best of luck with her future endeavors, particularly as she receives the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship.