M’Lis is passionate about environmental and place-based education that incorporates issues of social justice. With over 25 years of experience as an urban environmental educator, activist, artist, and researcher in communities including New York City, Detroit, and Flint, Michigan, she is dedicated to building supportive and ethical partnerships between communities and institutions. Her research interests include participatory design, environmental education, environmental justice, and community-based participatory research. She was formerly the director of the Friends of the High School for Environmental Studies, NYC, where she ran a city-wide environmental internship program for teens and provided professional development for teachers working to integrate environmental issues into the curriculum.