Thoughtful preparation is the foundation on which the transformative expedition stands. It gives vital context allowing you to experience your expedition more fully; it teaches you about the people and places you’ll visit, providing deeper connections; it pushes you to grow, giving you a toolbox of skills you’ll use the rest of your life.
Global Explorers provides a variety of resources to help ensure the preparatory process is as impactful, informative and efficient as possible:
Fundraising Travel is expensive. We understand the burden of increased costs in airfare and program fees on families and that fundraising usually needs to be a priority during the preparatory process. We also believe that working to raise funds can be a vital step in the personal growth and development among participants, resulting in increased commitment and investment in their experience. To that end, we have developed a user-friendly online fundraising tool which enables groups to customize their own messages and share them seamlessly. Simply visit this site and follow the step by step instructions. Once registered, the tool provides a variety of fundraising strategies, ideas and support.
Support Embarking on a program of this nature can seem intimidating… but rest assured you won’t go at it alone! Every group is assigned a GEx Group Manager or GEx Liaison who is always just a phone call or email away. From booking airfare to questions on the packing lists, he or she supports groups through every step of our program. For groups traveling with a lead teacher (or chaperone), a set of additional resources is also provided on top of the Curriculum to aid in the preparation. Sample items include: destination-specific materials (books, maps, wildlife guides, etc.) and a series of Global Explorers program handbooks outlining everything from required forms to packing lists to parent meeting agendas and recommended immunizations.
The vastness and remoteness of the barren landscape fixates your attention. You feel the lure that has brought explorers to the Far North for so many years. The intricacies and interdependencies of the fragile ecosystems amaze you.
During the couple hours of summertime darkness, you catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis and a sense of absolute wonder overcomes. Local community members tell you stories of how the region is changing, and you wonder how that impacts the beluga whales you just saw and polar bears you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of. You see giant herds of caribou. Your hands are dirty from taking soil samples. And you’ve only just arrived. You decide you want to understand. You decide you’re ready to unleash your potential and discover the power you have to make a difference.
You’re back in class after you return from your trip. Everything feels like it did before you left and your memories soon begin to fade. Until one day you’re in science class participating in a lab experiment, and the feel of the instruments in your hands immediately transports you back to your time in the Arctic.
You remember the research you did with the biologist and how it ignited your desire to become a field scientist. You can taste the cool crisp air and the freedom of the vast landscape. You daydream about the wildlife you observed and feel a sense of concern that their habitats will disappear too soon. A sense of urgency comes back over you and it dawns on you: This really was about far more than just a cool trip. This was a fundamental shift in perspective, a new mindset, a new path to travel.
Just as the preparation lays the groundwork for the expedition, the return process is fundamental in rounding out the transformative journey. To help with integrating the experience into day-to-day life, every Global Explorers participant creates and implements a Global Citizenship Project after their return home. And now what?! Well, it’s time you start looking for your next call to adventure!
