Our Mission

Through a humanities approach, we are leveraging the strengths of the university and communities while keeping people at the center to advance food and environmental justice.

This means we’re not just researching food systems and environmental issues from a distance — we’re engaging with them directly and personally. By using tools like storytelling, art, oral history, and cultural analysis, we’re uncovering real experiences that often get overlooked in traditional approaches. Our mission reflects a deep commitment to understanding how people live, grow, eat, and survive in a changing world — and how we can support communities in leading the solutions. With the university’s resources and the community’s knowledge, we are working side-by-side to imagine more just, sustainable, and human-centered futures.

Our Vision

We envision a future for the community where partnerships and relationships are deepened and students are motivated to lead transformative work in their communities.

Our vision is rooted in connection — between people, across institutions, and within systems of care. We see a future where students don’t just pass through classrooms, but grow through hands-on work with community members, developing empathy and leadership skills that last a lifetime. We want to create spaces where trust can thrive, where diverse perspectives are respected, and where cultural traditions and lived experience help shape academic learning. In this future, food systems are more just, environmental risks are more equitably managed, and UMD plays an active role in supporting and uplifting the people who call this region home.