In 2022, environmental justice (EJ) education was found to be severely lacking in Philadelphia high schools, meanwhile students express overwhelmingly negative feelings of worry and helplessness about climate change. Literature suggests that one way to bridge this gap is through instilling intrinsic motivation among youth to engage in pro-environmental behaviors (PEB), which can be encouraged by improved environmental education (EE). Despite this research’s original focus on Philadelphia high school students, difficulties with Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, connecting with teachers, and time constraints caused the research to pivot towards surveying a more accessible population: undergraduate students. This research asked the question: What has influenced undergraduate students’ current knowledge of EJ and how do they believe their education can instill sustained motivation for learning more about EJ and engaging in PEB? A total of 50 undergraduate students were surveyed about their connection with nature, PEB, knowledge of EJ (EJK), and interest in learning more. Then, five students were interviewed to elaborate on their responses and detail what form of education they value most. A regression analysis between each measured survey value demonstrated significant positive correlations (p-value <0.05) between five out of the six relationships, suggesting that quality EE can encourage PEB, which can motivate students to learn more. Furthermore, interviewed students highlighted a strong lack of EJ in formal education, and noted that they prefer discussion- and community-based learning, but rarely have opportunities to take such classes. Overall, this research highlights youth voices to better understand how improved EE can encourage intrinsic motivations among youth, as our future generations, to act pro-environmentally, thus empowering them to tackle worsening environmental issues.