Environmental education can be grouped according to programmes that teach about, in, and for the environment. Education (i.e. information) about the environment is still emphasized in universities; however, programmes that communicate the importance of immersion and activism are increasing in popularity. We are involved in developing interdisciplinary environmental education programmes with a number of resource-dependent communities across Manitoba and Nunavut. These emphasize the importance of experience-based traditional or local rural knowledge, and often incorporate the physical and life sciences. Most of these efforts are community-focused and emphasize critical thinking and problem-based learning.