GeoCamp Iceland

01/09/2026

As summer draws to a close, we are looking back at one of our busiest and most diverse seasons yet at GeoCamp Iceland.

From May through August, we welcomed hundreds of students, teachers and faculty to Iceland for programs ranging from geology, climate change and renewable energy to agriculture, sustainability, regenerative tourism, astronomy and STEAM education.

Among the highlights has been the number of new institutions joining the GeoCamp community, including Moorestown Friends School, Coginchaug Regional High School, SUNY Oneonta, Mercersburg Academy, Boston University Academy, University of New England, Hope College, Purdue University, Brooklyn College, Breck School, West Valley College, Newark Academy and Hanover High School—alongside many returning partners.

Throughout the summer, Iceland became the classroom. Students explored volcanoes and recent lava fields, glaciers, geothermal areas and renewable energy, connecting their experiences in the field to climate change, sustainability and Icelandic society.

Our expanding partnerships also brought new academic focus areas. Purdue University explored agriculture, fisheries and sustainability, while the University of New England focused on regenerative and Arctic tourism. West Valley College combined geology and astronomy around the total solar eclipse on 12 August, while students from Hanover High School launched high-altitude research balloons from Reykjanes during the eclipse. We also welcomed faculty from Newark Academy for a dedicated professional-development program.

The months ahead

Summer may be ending, but our 2026 season is not. This autumn we will welcome groups from University of Washington, Bryn Mawr College, Vanderbilt University and Pepperdine University.

By the end of October, GeoCamp Iceland will have welcomed more than 30 educational groups and close to 600 participants in 2026—a growing community of students and educators experiencing Iceland as Nature’s Most Dynamic Classroom.

31/08/2026

🌋 Iceland as a classroom – for teachers too.

Earlier this month, GeoCamp Iceland welcomed a faculty group from Newark Academy in New Jersey for a professional development programme exploring how Iceland’s landscapes, communities and environmental challenges can become powerful tools for teaching and learning.

Over six days, the group explored themes including sustainability, climate change, renewable energy, natural hazards, community resilience, Icelandic history and storytelling. From the volcanic landscapes of Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark and the retreating Sólheimajökull glacier to geothermal energy, sustainable agriculture and Icelandic schools, the focus was always on connecting real places and real challenges with education.

Professional development is an important part of what we do at GeoCamp Iceland. Field-based learning is not only about bringing students into the landscape. It is also about giving educators time and space to explore new approaches, exchange ideas and consider how place-based, interdisciplinary learning can be brought back into their own classrooms ... and Iceland is a pretty good place to start that conversation.

A big thank you to the Newark Academy faculty for an engaging week of exploration, discussion and learning with us in Iceland.

27/08/2026

This week, GeoCamp Iceland hosted partners from France, Croatia, Norway, Türkiye and Romania for the Erasmus+ ResponsibleProject meeting in Reykjanes.

For us, projects like RESPONSIBLE are an important part of the educational mission of Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark. A Geopark is not only about geological heritage, it is also a place for education, experimentation and international cooperation around a more sustainable future.

During the meeting, partners explored how sustainability, zero waste and the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle can be brought into STEAM education. We visited Háaleitisskóli in Reykjanesbær to see creative approaches to upcycling and using waste materials in learning, alongside a visit to the STREAM Centre in Elliðaárdalur.

A project like RESPONSIBLE strengthens the connection between local schools and communities and a wider European network of educators developing new approaches to sustainability education, bringing new knowledge, ideas and international connections back into our local educational community.

18/08/2026

Into the shadow of the Moon ... and nearly 20 kilometres above Iceland.

During the total solar eclipse on 12 August, students from Hanover High School in New Hampshire launched a high-altitude research balloon from Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark as part of their field program with GeoCamp Iceland.

The mission was real science in real conditions. The balloon carried instruments to record atmospheric data throughout its journey, including altitude, pressure, temperature, movement and radiation. It climbed rapidly through the atmosphere, eventually reaching approximately 19,797 metres (nearly 65,000 feet) above Iceland before beginning its descent.

And the data tell quite a story.

Atmospheric pressure fell from around 1,000 hPa at the surface to approximately 63 hPa near maximum altitude. The payload’s internal temperature dropped from around 20°C to approximately -10°C during the ascent before rising again. GPS and motion data also captured major changes in wind direction and increasing movement of the payload high in the atmosphere.

The flight did not go entirely according to plan. The balloon had been expected to climb considerably higher, but the envelope failed at around 65,000 feet. That unexpected result has itself become part of the experiment. Post-flight analysis points towards a combination of unusually high free lift, challenging wet and windy launch conditions, changing winds at altitude and a possible weakness in the balloon material.

That is also what field-based science is about. Experiments do not always behave as predicted. The unexpected result becomes a new question, the collected data become evidence, and the investigation continues.

For the Hanover students, the eclipse was therefore much more than something to watch from the ground. It became an opportunity to send their own experiment into the atmosphere and collect data from one of the most extraordinary natural events visible from Iceland.

Not a bad day in nature’s most dynamic classroom.

11/08/2026

Nemendur og kennarar frá Hanover High School í Bandaríkjunum munu senda rannsóknar háloftabelgi á loft frá Reykjanesinu í tengslum við almyrkvann þann 12. ágúst næstkomandi. Með fjölbreyttum mælitækjum verður rannsakað hvaða áhrif almyrkvinn hefur á lofthjúpinn og umhverfið, meðal annars á hitastig, loftþrýsting og birtustig.

Einnig verður hegðun fugla könnuð á meðan myrkvinn stendur yfir og ferðalagi sérstaks háloftabelgs umbreytt í hljóðverk.

Verkefnið er unnið í samstarfi við GeoCamp Iceland og Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark og gefur nemendum tækifæri til að taka þátt í raunverulegum rannsóknum við sérstæðar aðstæður á Reykjanesi.

https://www.visitreykjanes.is/is/blogg/bandariskir-nemendur-senda-haloftabelgi-a-loft-i-almyrkva

04/08/2026

Next week, GeoCamp Iceland welcomes two inspiring student groups from the United States, each coming to Iceland to experience one of nature's rarest events, the total solar eclipse on 12 August.

From California, we are excited to welcome students and faculty from West Valley College. On top of witnessing the eclipse, their program combines astronomy and geology, exploring Iceland's volcanic landscapes, glaciers, geothermal energy, and tectonic plate boundary. It is exactly the kind of interdisciplinary, field-based learning that defines the GeoCamp experience.

At the same time, we will be joined by our friends from the Hanover High School High Altitude Ballooning and Engineering Team (HABET) from New Hampshire. These remarkable students won't just be watching the eclipse—they will be launching scientific payloads aboard high-altitude weather balloons to study how the atmosphere responds as the Moon's shadow passes over Iceland. Their experiments, developed through years of hands-on research, will collect real data from near the edge of space during this once-in-a-generation event.

A total solar eclipse is much more than a spectacular sight. It offers scientists and students a unique opportunity to investigate our atmosphere, the Sun-Earth system, and the natural world in ways that simply aren't possible on an ordinary day. The eclipse on 12 August will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Iceland since 1954, making it a truly historic occasion.

For us, this is what outdoor education is all about. Bringing together astronomy, Earth science, engineering, climate science, and curiosity in the field. We look forward to sharing Iceland's living laboratory with both groups and to seeing the discoveries, questions, and inspiration that emerge over the coming days.

Welcome to Iceland, West Valley College and Hanover High School. We can't wait to explore, learn, and experience this extraordinary week together.

A total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of the Reykjanes Peninsula on 12 August 2026. Large numbers of visitors are expected across the region, and roads, services, parking areas and campsites may be under pressure.

23/07/2026

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming over fifty students and teachers from The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University for another educational journey across Iceland. Building on previous visits, it is a privilege to continue this growing partnership through field-based learning and shared experiences.

During their five-day field study programme, students explored Iceland as a living laboratory for Earth and environmental sciences. They investigated plate tectonics, volcanism, geothermal processes, glacier retreat, renewable energy, climate change, and natural hazards while visiting active geological sites, glaciers, geothermal power plants, and the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. Along the way, they also learned about Icelandic history, culture, and environmental stewardship through place-based, hands-on learning.

Thank you for once again choosing GeoCamp Iceland. It was a pleasure to share Iceland’s remarkable landscapes and stories with such an engaged and curious group of students. 🇮🇸🇨🇳

19/07/2026

What stays with students after a week in Iceland? It's a question we often ask ourselves after groups head home.

This July, we had the pleasure of welcoming Breck School to GeoCamp Iceland for the first time. During their journey, they explored volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal power, Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, Reykjavík, and everything in between.

Along the way, they learned about climate change, renewable energy, Icelandic history, and how people have adapted to life on this remote North Atlantic island, from the first settlers over a thousand years ago to the communities facing today’s volcanic eruptions and a changing climate.

But what stayed with them wasn’t always what they expect before arriving in Iceland. On the final evening, their teachers asked the students a simple question: “How do you have a better understanding of yourself because of this trip?”

Some wrote about putting their phones away and becoming more present. Others discovered confidence by stepping outside their comfort zones and getting to know classmates they hadn’t talked to before. Several reflected on food waste, supporting local businesses, and seeing sustainability as something they can practice every day—not just talk about.

One student wrote that the most memorable moments weren’t necessarily the famous places, but the unexpected ones—the conversations with locals and the places they stumbled upon along the way.

This really resonates with us.

At GeoCamp, we spend a lot of time planning itineraries, booking accommodations, checking weather forecasts, and making sure everything runs smoothly. But in the end, the moments students remember are often impossible to schedule. They’re the quiet conversations, the shared challenges, time spent grounded in nature, and the stories exchanged around the fire at our family farm.

Those are the moments that help students see the world ... and sometimes themselves ... from a different perspective. For us, that’s the real privilege of this work. Revisiting places we know by heart through the eyes of people experiencing them for the very first time.

Thank you to Becky, Alex, and the students at Breck School for trusting us with your first program in Iceland. Your students were curious, thoughtful, and willing to embrace every experience.

18/07/2026

Earlier this summer, GeoCamp Iceland joined partners from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Ireland at the REGENERATE project meeting hosted at Hawkhill Cottage Resort in Finland.

The meeting marked an important milestone as we completed the project’s first phase, focusing on understanding the current state of tourism across the Northern Periphery and Arctic region. Together, we reviewed regional tourism trends, mapped key stakeholders, and shared inspiring examples of regenerative tourism already making a positive difference in local communities.

Hawkhill itself provided the perfect setting for the meeting. As a leading example of regenerative and sustainable tourism in practice, it demonstrated how businesses can create meaningful visitor experiences while strengthening local communities and caring for the natural environment.

The partners also began planning the next stage of the project, which will focus on developing practical tools, educational resources, and collaboration platforms to help destinations and tourism businesses put regenerative principles into action.

At GeoCamp Iceland, we believe tourism should leave places better than we found them. Through education, field-based learning, and collaboration, we are proud to contribute to a project that helps shape a more resilient and regenerative future for tourism across the North.

The REGENERATE project is led by Visit Reykjanes and brings together partners from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Ireland to support tourism that creates lasting benefits for nature, communities, and local businesses.

02/07/2026

In May, GeoCamp Iceland participated in the first Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTT1) of the Erasmus+ ResponsibleProject for How to Reuse, Recycle and Reduce Waste for a Better Future, hosted in Rakkestad, Norway.

Representing GeoCamp Iceland were Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir, Project Manager for Education at GeoCamp Iceland, and Drífa Thorstensen, STEAM teacher at Háaleitisskóli in Reykjanesbær. Together with students, teachers, and partners from across Europe, they explored how schools can inspire more sustainable lifestyles through creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning.

One of the week’s highlights was the Plastic Art Project, where students transformed discarded plastic into artworks, demonstrating how waste can become a valuable educational resource while encouraging conversations about responsible consumption and the circular economy.

Beyond the workshops, participants experienced Norwegian culture through visits to Oslo, time with host families, and National Day celebrations, strengthening both professional partnerships and lasting friendships.

The ideas and experiences gained in Norway will now be shared with schools and educators in Reykjanes, supporting future work in sustainability, outdoor learning, STEAM education, and international cooperation.

Thank you to our Norwegian hosts and all Erasmus+ partners for an inspiring week. Together, we are helping prepare young people to become active, responsible citizens ready to build a more sustainable future.