​From 27–29 January 2026, Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir represented GeoCamp Iceland and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark at the ISEEN Winter Institute in Baltimore, USA. The annual ISEEN (Independent School Experiential Education Network) Winter Institute is a well-established international conference that brings together educators, school leaders, and education innovators from across the United States and Canada, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning, outdoor education, and values-driven pedagogy.

This year’s overarching theme, “Justice for People and the Planet through Community Action,” was deeply woven into the programme. Across keynotes, workshops, and collaborative sessions, participants explored how education can actively support social justice, sustainability, and responsible engagement with the natural world. The theme strongly aligns with the values underpinning GeoCamp Iceland’s work: outdoor learning, scientific literacy, sustainability, and education as a driver for positive societal change.

During the conference, Sigrún participated in a wide range of workshops, including a full-day session on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, led by facilitators from Insight Global Education. This intensive workshop focused on practical ways educators can embed the Global Goals into teaching practice, empowering students to understand complex global challenges and see themselves as active contributors to solutions.

Another particularly impactful session focused on outdoor education, where experienced educators shared concrete methods, challenges, and success stories from their own practice. The workshop fostered open dialogue and peer support, highlighting outdoor learning as a powerful tool for strengthening student agency, well-being, and connection to place. These discussions directly resonate with GeoCamp Iceland’s long-standing experience in field-based learning and place-based education.

A key highlight of Sigrún’s participation was her involvement in the conference’s “education camps,” where selected educators were invited to present innovative ideas and projects. As one of only 15 presenters, Sigrún introduced “Ripples of Learning” (Gárur á Reykjanesi), an initiative developed within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. The project focuses on mapping outdoor learning opportunities around schools across the Reykjanes Peninsula, making it easier for teachers to integrate meaningful outdoor and place-based learning into everyday education.

The presentation was met with strong interest, and the stand was well attended throughout the session. Many educators expressed enthusiasm for the concept, recognising its potential to be adapted to their own local contexts. This response underlined the broader relevance of the work being carried out in Reykjanes and demonstrated how local initiatives can inspire international educational practice.

The conference concluded with a keynote address by Dawn Moore, First Lady of Maryland, who shared insights into the values and priorities guiding her and her husband’s public work. Her message emphasised collaboration, care, and respect for both people and the natural world, echoing the core values that had shaped the conference as a whole. It was a fitting and inspiring close to an event grounded in empathy, responsibility, and hope.

Beyond the formal programme, ISEEN Winter Institute offered valuable opportunities for networking and relationship-building. Sigrún connected with educators and schools actively working at the intersection of education, sustainability, and outdoor learning. These connections strengthen GeoCamp Iceland’s international network and open doors for future collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint initiatives.

Sigrún returned from Baltimore with renewed inspiration, a strong sense of community, and a reinforced belief in the power of education to foster understanding, responsibility, and positive change. Her participation at ISEEN highlights the importance of Icelandic voices in international education forums and reinforces GeoCamp Iceland’s role as an active contributor to global conversations on outdoor learning, sustainability, and educational innovation.

On 2 February, Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark hosted a UNESCO Schools–themed Education Camp (Menntabúðir) at Gerðaskóli in Garður. The event proved highly successful, bringing together over 100 participants from 15 schools for an afternoon of inspiration, exchange, and collaboration focused on education for sustainability and global citizenship.

The Education Camp was designed as an open and welcoming space for educators across all school levels. The programme centred on interactive presentation booths, followed by a keynote lecture, allowing participants to move freely, explore ideas at their own pace, and engage in conversations with colleagues from different schools, disciplines, and municipalities.

More than a dozen booths showcased a wide range of projects and ideas connected to UNESCO school values, including outdoor learning, local studies, science, sustainability, human rights, and community engagement. Presentations came from preschools, primary schools, and upper secondary schools across the region, alongside contributions from key partner organisations such as the United Nations Association of Iceland, Landvernd (the Icelandic Environment Association), Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, and Sudurnes Science & Learning Centre.

“The participation was fantastic, and the atmosphere was extremely positive,” says Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir, Project Manager at GeoCamp Iceland & Manager of Education at Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. Through her work at GeoCamp Iceland, Sigrún Svafa focuses on educational development and outreach, reflecting GeoCamp’s long-term commitment to strengthening outdoor learning, sustainability education, and school–community collaboration within the Geopark. “Education Camps like this create a shared platform where educators can meet, exchange experiences, and learn from one another across school levels and municipalities. This first event exceeded my brightest expectations. It is clear how many exciting and diverse things our schools are doing. Together we are stronger – and we are only just getting started.”

The event concluded with an engaging keynote by Sævar Helgi Bragason, who explored how astronomy can be meaningfully integrated into school education. His talk focused on the total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026, what can be expected from the phenomenon, and the unique educational and public engagement opportunities it presents for the Reykjanes Peninsula. The lecture sparked lively discussion and strong interest among participants.

The Education Camp highlighted the strong momentum within the school community of Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark and demonstrated the value of long-term collaboration between schools, the Geopark, and GeoCamp Iceland. Through this shared commitment, the Geopark continues to function as a living classroom, supporting place-based learning, educational innovation, and sustainable development across the region.

From 8–12 September 2025, representatives from GeoCamp Iceland and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark participated in the 11th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks (GGN 2025), held in Temuco, Chile. Hosted by Kütralkura UNESCO Global Geopark, the conference brought together geopark professionals, researchers, educators, and policy representatives from across the global network under the theme “From Ancestral Knowledge towards Future Geoparks: Technologies and Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.”

For GeoCamp Iceland and its partners, GGN 2025 provided an important international platform to present and disseminate REGENERATE – Regenerative Tourism for Resilient Communities and Natural Heritage, an Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) cooperation project led by Visit Reykjanes.

The REGENERATE Project

REGENERATE addresses a shared challenge across the Northern Periphery and Arctic region: how to balance the economic importance of tourism with increasing pressure on sensitive natural environments, local communities, and cultural heritage. Rather than focusing solely on impact reduction, the project promotes a regenerative tourism approach, aiming to ensure that tourism actively contributes to ecological restoration, community resilience, and cultural continuity.

The project is led by Visit Reykjanes (Iceland) and brings together partners from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Ireland, including GeoCamp Iceland, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Olemisen Balanssia ry, Gold of Lapland, and Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark. Over its three-year duration (2025–2028), REGENERATE will develop a shared regenerative tourism model, establish four pilot regenerative travel hubs, and deliver capacity-building tools for public authorities, SMEs, and destination management organisations.

Presenting REGENERATE at GGN 2025

At GGN 2025, REGENERATE was presented through a dedicated poster and direct engagement with conference participants. The presentation outlined the project’s objectives, partnership structure, and key outputs, with particular emphasis on the pilot hubs and the role of public–private cooperation in implementing regenerative practices at destination level.

The response from the international geopark community was strongly positive. Many geoparks face similar challenges related to visitor pressure, climate vulnerability, depopulation, and the need to align tourism more closely with education, conservation, and community development. The REGENERATE framework was widely recognised as a practical and transferable approach that could be adapted to different territorial, cultural, and governance contexts.

GGN as a Dissemination and Learning Platform

The UNESCO Global Geoparks Network plays a critical role as a dissemination channel for initiatives such as REGENERATE. Unlike conventional tourism forums, GGN conferences bring together territories that already operate at the intersection of geoconservation, education, and sustainable development. This makes the network particularly well suited for testing, refining, and scaling regenerative tourism approaches.

Discussions at GGN 2025 demonstrated strong interest from geoparks beyond the NPA region, including representatives from Latin America, Southern Europe, and Asia. These exchanges reinforced the project’s ambition to contribute not only to regional development in the North, but also to wider international dialogue on the future role of geoparks in shaping responsible and regenerative tourism.

The Role of GeoCamp Iceland

GeoCamp Iceland contributes to REGENERATE by linking regenerative tourism with education, outdoor learning, and science communication. Through field-based learning, teacher training, and international study programmes, GeoCamp supports the integration of regenerative principles into both visitor experiences and local capacity-building efforts.

At GGN 2025, this educational perspective was highlighted as a key strength of the project. Many geoparks expressed interest in strengthening the educational dimension of tourism development, particularly as a way to influence long-term behavioural change among visitors and to engage young people and future professionals.

Conclusions and Next Steps

Participation in GGN 2025 confirmed the relevance of the REGENERATE project within the global geopark context. The conference provided a valuable opportunity to disseminate project objectives, exchange experiences with other geoparks, and explore pathways for future collaboration and replication.

As REGENERATE moves into its implementation phase, continued engagement with the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network will remain an important element of its dissemination strategy. By sharing models, tools, and lessons learned, the project aims to support geoparks worldwide in strengthening tourism as a positive force for environmental regeneration, cultural heritage, and community resilience.

REGENERATE: A Northern Periphery and Arctic programme initiative led from Reykjanes, showcasing regenerative tourism practices developed with partners from Finland, Sweden, and Ireland [Poster]

The UNESCO Schools Education Camp (Menntabúðir), held on 2 February at Gerðaskóli in Garður, provided an important platform to highlight ACADIMIA – the European Teacher Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learningand its growing role in teacher development in the Reykjanes region.

Menntabúðir brought together over 100 educators from preschools, primary schools, and upper secondary schools across the region. Designed as an open and collaborative learning space, the event focused on sharing practice, building professional connections, and strengthening education linked to sustainability, global citizenship, and place-based learning within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark.

As part of the main programme, Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir presented ACADIMIA to all participants, outlining the project’s vision, pedagogical approach, and concrete outcomes in Reykjanes. The presentation generated strong interest among educators and sparked discussion around the need for professional development that is practical, inspiring, and closely connected to everyday teaching realities.

ACADIMIA is a European teacher training initiative that focuses on creative learning, inclusion, and active teaching methodologies, supporting educators in developing new approaches that can be applied across subjects and learning environments. In Reykjanes, the project has gained exceptional momentum. To date, close to 100 teachers from the region have participated in ACADIMIA training activities, representing approximately 20% of all teachers in Reykjanes. This level of engagement makes Reykjanes one of the strongest regional examples of ACADIMIA outreach and impact.

The presentation at Menntabúðir also highlighted how ACADIMIA complements and strengthens ongoing work within the UNESCO Schools network and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. The event was held in close collaboration with the United Nations Association of Iceland, which coordinates UNESCO school activities at the national level, reinforcing the connection between local educational development and the wider UNESCO framework.

Through ACADIMIA, teachers in Reykjanes have engaged in hands-on workshops, creative learning processes, and peer-based reflection, often linked to outdoor learning, sustainability education, and cross-curricular teaching. The project aligns closely with GeoCamp Iceland’s approach to education: learning that is active, relevant, and rooted in local context, while connected to international perspectives and collaboration.

Highlighting ACADIMIA at Menntabúðir positioned the project firmly within the broader educational ecosystem of Reykjanes. Alongside UNESCO Schools initiatives, Geopark-based learning, and sustainability-focused education, ACADIMIA contributes to building a strong professional learning community that spans school levels, disciplines, and municipalities.

For GeoCamp Iceland, the Menntabúðir presentation marked another important milestone in translating European education projects into meaningful local impact. ACADIMIA is no longer simply an international training programme hosted in Reykjanes; it has become an integral part of ongoing teacher development in the region.

As interest and participation continue to grow, ACADIMIA will remain a key tool for supporting educators in Reykjanes, strengthening collaboration across schools, and ensuring that innovative, inclusive teaching practices are embedded in everyday learning. Menntabúðir clearly demonstrated both the scale of this work and the strong commitment among teachers to shaping the future of education together.