Free glaciology program for high school girls accepting applications
January 9, 2015
907-474-7541
01/08/15
Girls on Ice, a free wilderness education program, is accepting applications now through Jan. 31. Each year, two teams of nine teenage girls and three instructors spend 12 days exploring and learning about mountain glaciers and alpine landscapes in Alaska or Washington through scientific field studies with professional glaciologists, artists and mountaineers.
The program, operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics, will offer two expeditions this year:
- Girls on Ice Alaska is designed specifically for Alaska and Pacific Northwest girls ages 16 to 18. The Alaska expedition runs from June 19 to June 30 and girls sleep under the midnight sun while exploring an Alaska glacier.
- The Girls on Ice North Cascades expedition is geared toward girls from all countries ages 16 to 18 and explores Mount Baker, an ice-covered volcano in Washington. The North Cascades expedition runs from July 13 to July 24. To be eligible, girls must be at least 16 years old by June 19 and no older than 18 on July 24.
The program helps girls learn about the natural processes that create the alpine world, develop critical thinking skills and explore the connection between science and art. Participants learn how to travel on glaciers, design their own experiments and work as part of a team.
Girls are able to participate in this program tuition-free through small grants, gifts from individuals and generous support from the National Science Foundation, the Alaska Climate Science Center and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
To find out more information and learn about the application process, go to http://girlsonice.org/apply/.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Erin Pettit, 474-5389, ecpettit@alaska.edu
High school girls trek across a glacier in Alaska during summer. Photo by Joanna Young.