Students on Ice

“Thanks to the generosity of the Gainey Foundation, many deserving youth have been given the life-changing opportunity to participate on a Students on Ice educational expedition to the Antarctic and the Arctic. We are so grateful for the Gainey family’s support, friendship and strong belief in the importance of experiential education.”

– Geoff Green, C.M. PhD (Hon), Founder, Executive Director & Expedition Leader

Students on Ice is an award-winning, not-for-profit organization offering unique educational expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic. Our mandate is to provide students with unique educational experiences that will challenge the way they perceive the world. Our aim is not to simply provide students with a trip to a unique destination, but rather to give students an opportunity to have an aesthetic experience in some of the most wild and awe-inspiring ecosystems in the world. We do not want students to just pass through a place with camera in hand, but rather to listen to the land and the people who inhabit it; to feel these natural places, and in turn, explore how we as humans feel when immersed in such places. Ultimately, we hope students will experience a transformative connection to the experience; a connection that changes the way they understand and act in the world.

SOI’s approach to education weaves together elements of experiential, expeditionary and problem-based learning. In starting with a very hands-on approach, active participation and critical thinking are important elements in the SOI learning process. Through posing questions, experimenting and constructing meaning, the learning becomes personal, relational and exploratory in nature. Our expeditions are symbolic learning journeys, from the initial development of ideas, to addressing problems and possible solutions, to final reflections. We recognize that the journey will be unique for each student, as will the manner in which each student effects positive change in her/his individual lives following the expedition.