The growing urgency of climate change, biodiversity loss and other planetary-scale environmental problems combined with threats posed by the anti-science stance of the Trump Administration is fueling activism throughout society. Driven by reason and passion, many environmental scientists and educators are re-examining the demands of citizenship in the face of what many perceive as an existential crisis. This panel probes the multi-faceted nature of activism by the academy. Our multi-disciplinary analysis spans the strategic use of policy windows to advocate for climate change action within an institution, to the creation of an environmental NGO to provide an external, “second voice” to advocate for evidence-based environmental health in a context of inevitable uncertainty. We examine the pedagogy of activist scholars seeking to educate the leaders of a new wave of bold, intersectional environmentalism willing to take risks. And we challenge the dominant narrative of the Anthropocene that casts humans in the role of villain and shapes environmental activism, instead asking that we re-imagine humans as embedded in earth systems advocating for connectedness while simultaneously undermining anthropocentrism. This rich overview of activism within the academy addresses questions central to the conference theme: our analysis expands our understanding of the roles that faculty and students can play in communicating and addressing environmental challenges within and across educational institutions; and we highlight innovative partnerships that can be forged between academia and NGOs to channel expertise in advocacy for environmental protection and public health. Our investigation of activism provides important insights that contribute to our understanding of the nuanced dimensions of “Environment, Wellness, and Community.”