Girls on Ice Alaska
Girls on Ice is now expanding to include a second program in Alaska! In July 2012, a team of 9 participants will spend 11 days exploring Alaskan glaciers and the alpine landscape through an expedition with a professional mountain guide and young scientists.
Girls on Ice Alaska (GOI AK) will be a unique opportunity primarily intended for Alaskan and Pacific Northwest girls. Not only do we want the participants to learn about mountaineering and science in an outdoor classroom, but also to get to know other girls who may come from very different geographic and cultural backgrounds. Together, through their differences and similarities, these 9 girls will contribute to the team in their own way, and will learn about Alaskan and Pacific Northwest landscapes, cultures, and lifestyles that may be quite different from their own.
The successful applicants – many of whom may not have traveled far from their home before – will gain from the GOI AK experience in a number of ways. They will be challenged to push their comfort zones and strengthen their confidence in their physical abilities through mountaineering skills and movement; in their leadership abilities through peer mentoring and team leadership roles; and in their intellectual abilities by observing the landscape, asking questions, discussing the role of science in society, and learning about ecology, glaciology and climate change. By being immersed in this exciting new landscape and learning about the big-picture connection between humans and nature, the girls will better understand not only environmental topics, but also their personal relationship to the environment. This kind of up-close interaction will encourage lifelong advocacy for the outdoors, whether in a similar alpine landscape or within each girl’s home environment.
While GOI AK is primarily intended for Alaskans, applications will be accepted from any high school girl with a particular interest in learning about the Alaskan alpine landscape. Applications for the program on Mount Baker in Washington will be considered in tandem with those for the Alaska program, so that the most diverse teams of girls can be selected for these expeditions.
