Students on Ice
An Overview of Students on Ice
What is Students on Ice?
Students selected by Youth Science Canada as part of the Youth Polar Excursion Program will participate in a Students on Ice excursion to the Canadian Arctic.
The Students on Ice program provides youth from across Canada and around the world with ship-based educational adventures to the Arctic and Antarctica.
Our mandate is to educate and inspire the next generation of polar scientists, researchers, and environmental leaders – and in doing so, help to provide them with a greater understanding and respect for the planet.
We believe that the Polar Regions are the world’s greatest classrooms. They are the cornerstones of the global ecosystem and a tremendous platform for education.
Since 2000 - nearly 1,000 high school and university students from thirty countries have visited the Polar Regions with this award-winning program.
About Geoff Green – Executive Director of Students on Ice
Geoff Green is one of North America’s most passionate and inspiring speakers on the topics of Education, Environment, the Polar Regions and Adventure.
Geoff is the founder and executive director of the Canadian-based organization Students on Ice Expeditions, an award-winning educational program that has taken over 1000 students, teachers and scientists from around the world on expeditions to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The goal of the pioneering project is to give the world’s youth a heightened understanding and respect for our planet’s global ecosystem, and the inspiration to protect it.
A Canadian adventurer and educator, Geoff has been leading expeditions from pole to pole for the past decade. As an expedition leader, he is a veteran of 74 Antarctic expeditions and 30 Arctic expeditions. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world’s most remote and exciting regions.
International Polar Year and Students on Ice
Endorsed by the IPY Joint Committee, the Students on Ice Arctic IPY Youth Expedition Series 2007-2009 represents one of the largest IPY Education and Outreach initiatives in Canada. In fact, it is one of the most ambitious Arctic expeditions for youth - ever!
Our expedition goal is to raise global awareness about the impacts of climate change and other environmental issues facing the Arctic Regions today. We encourage participants to think about real and immediate concerns - about the impact their own actions are having on the world - and how they can make a difference. This is all part of leaving an International Polar Year legacy.
About the Students on Ice - IPY Arctic Expedition 2009
The expedition represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for youth to expand their knowledge about the circumpolar world, and to gain a new global perspective of our planet, its wonders, and its present and future challenges.
The selection of activities strive to combine opportunities to experience extraordinary wildlife encounters, visits to remote Inuit communities, archeological sites, as well as the opportunity to acquire first-hand knowledge and insight into the dynamics of climate change.
The program incorporates lectures, workshops, naturalist seminars, and small group discussion. Participants will encounter Arctic wildlife, including whales, walrus, polar bears, musk-oxen, and seabirds.
Education and Environmental Leadership
Our approach to education weaves together elements of experiential and problem-based learning. Starting with a very 'hands-on' approach, active participation and critical thinking are important elements in the SOI learning process. During the expedition, several different learning formats are used, including lectures, workshops, small-group discussions, and hands-on activities. Our education team consists of polar scientists, researchers and university professors.
Environmental Leadership:
Our program explores how youth can be effective agents of change - and how their efforts contribute to positive action. Youth have an opportunity to establish sustainable livelihoods and make informed ecological-based choices early in their lives. In developing the leadership component of our programming, we facilitate ongoing group discussions on ways to get involved in youth-based environmental initiatives upon returning home.
For more information about our other SOI-IPY expeditions, visit: www.studentsonice.com