The Student and Environmental Justice (EJ) Sections recognize that graduate students are so often focused on completing their research that they miss opportunities to extend and expand their results beyond the narrow requirements for graduation. This luncheon workshop is an opportunity to expose students to ways in which thesis and dissertation studies can be viewed and extended to include environmental policy components and educational outreach. In addition to fostering broader ecological perspectives, by considering an alternative view, students can provide input into policy making to help address environmental issues, as well as often develop another publication. Incorporating policy, particularly with respect to environmental justice issues, serves to advance the engagement of ecologists in addressing pressing environmental issues and provide greater service to society at large. One additional outcome will be an increased ability to answer those two dreaded questions: “What does your research have to do with anyone?” and “Why should you get paid to study _________?” This will be accomplished by three activities during the workshop. First, we will hold a short panel presentation by 4-5 “senior” ecologists to illustrate how their own, often traditionally oriented studies have been used in interpreting and/or developing policy and in adult non-formal education. Second, we will engage in brainstorming discussions centered around table groups on how to extend research topics of graduate student participants, followed by open discussion of some of the ideas and approaches that emerge.