GoNorth!

GoNorth! is a five-year Adventure Learning project which aims to circumnavigate the Arctic to observe, experience and to learn about traditional ecological knowledge and to document data on environmental change. The core team is made up of a partnership representing The College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota and NOMADS Online Classroom Expeditions:

• Aaron Doering, Ph.D, Education Director, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Minnesota
• Paul Pregont, Expeditions & Field Research Director, NOMADS Online Classroom Expeditions
• Mille Porsild, Program Director, NOMADS Online Classroom Expeditions

Since 1999 NOMADS Online Classroom Expeditions have involved students and teachers in exploration and research through following adventure learning programs and dogsled expeditions to the Arctic. School participation is growing – in 2008 for example, 3336 schools across the globe ‘joined’ the team and kept up with developments via the expedition website, participating in conversations, following the adventure trail through team blogs, joining in with the games and learning about the culture, ecology and the environment as the team progress through their mission.

Local knowledge is a key factor for each expedition, so each year a local expert joins the team as a guide. For the GoNorth! programme, a K-12 teacher is also selected to join the team for the last part of the expedition (about two weeks) - the conversations between participants and the team are the basis of my observations here.