Graduate students increasingly want to conduct transformative research that doesn’t just identify changes in climate, land use and resources management, but also seeks to advance solutions to these complex issues. When graduate programs integrate transformative research with engagement activities, students can become better prepared for a variety of career options that include academic, government, industry, and non-profit sectors. This boundary-crossing approach to graduate training connects students with communities and provides important real-world experiences that prepare students for a variety of future careers. Through these experiences students can hone their professional skills and contribute solutions to environmental challenges, while they also learn how environmental policies are formulated, influenced, and implemented. In this session we invite presentations that showcase challenges and successes in interdisciplinary graduate programs that integrate community engagement, via co-created research or public engagement activities, and allow their students to pursue career pathway experiences and internships with partner organizations.