News that Reynisfjara has “dramatically shifted” has travelled fast. Basalt columns now stand in the sea where sand once buffered the cliffs. Sections of beach have been eaten away. Access points look different. Visitors are surprised. Locals are unsettled.

But this is not new. This is Iceland.

We live on an island that is constantly being reshaped. Volcanoes build it. Glaciers carve it. Rivers rearrange it. Wind strips it bare. The North Atlantic tests it daily. The land gives and the land takes.

As with the rest of the Icelandic coastline, Reynisfjara has always been dynamic. The black sand is not permanent ground. It is volcanic sediment in motion. Strong easterly winds and persistent winter surf have simply accelerated what the ocean has always done along the South Coast. Moving material, redistributing sand, exposing rock, reclaiming space.

And sometimes, it reverses.

Arnbjörn Ólafsson
​Managing Director of GeoCamp Iceland

On 10 February, Grundaskóli in Akranes hosted a vibrant afternoon of professional development, welcoming over 50 teachers to participate in a series of ACADIMIA workshops focused on creative and inclusive teaching methods.

The workshops, organised in collaboration between the School of Education at the University of Iceland and GeoCamp Iceland, form part of the international Erasmus+ project ACADIMIA. The event demonstrated strong interest among educators in approaches that actively engage students, foster critical thinking and respond to the diverse needs of today’s classrooms.

Two Parallel Workshops – One Shared Vision

The programme offered two parallel 80-minute workshops, each presenting a distinct but complementary pedagogical approach.

Gamified Learning was led by Tryggvi Thayer and Skúlína Kjartansdóttir from the University of Iceland’s School of Education. The session explored how game design principles and playful challenges can increase student engagement, motivation and problem-solving skills. Participants discussed practical strategies for integrating game mechanics into everyday teaching, particularly when working with diverse and mixed-ability student groups.

TalentMaker – Talent-Based Learning, facilitated by Ragnheiður Alma Snæbjörnsdóttir from Akurskóli, focused on activating students’ strengths through creative and flexible project work. Developed in blended learning environments following the Covid pandemic, the method allows students to work independently, in pairs or in groups, while building on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The emphasis is on recognising and nurturing different talents within the classroom.

Part of a Broader European Collaboration

The workshops in Akranes are part of the wider ACADIMIA Erasmus+ project, in which GeoCamp Iceland and the University of Iceland are partners. The project brings together 11 creative teaching methodologies developed across Europe into one coherent framework. These methods draw inspiration from Montessori pedagogy, theatre and dialogue practices, gamification, and creative coding.

ACADIMIA aims to develop a shared curriculum on creative and inclusive teaching approaches and to deliver a series of teacher training workshops across all eight partner countries. In the long term, the ambition is to build a professional platform where educators can exchange ideas, inspire one another and integrate innovative methods directly into increasingly demanding school environments.

A Valuable Opportunity for Local Schools
​
For Grundaskóli and the wider educational community in Akranes, hosting the ACADIMIA workshops was a significant opportunity. The strong turnout reflects a growing interest among Icelandic teachers in practical, research-informed and internationally connected professional development.

The success of the event confirms that creative, inclusive and student-centred approaches are not trends — they are essential tools for modern education.

GeoCamp Iceland is proud to support this ongoing collaboration and to contribute to strengthening teacher capacity both locally and across Europe.

I was contacted by a couple of students from Moorestown Friends School ahead of their study visit to Iceland in March. They were preparing a blog post about their second day on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Their questions were simple and thoughtful.

• Do people live near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
• How do locals feel about tourism?
• How can we be respectful and thoughtful visitors?
• And how did you end up doing this work?

Good questions. The kind that make you pause before answering. Their curiosity made me reflect on something I think about often, but perhaps do not articulate enough.

What does it actually mean to be a conscious and curious traveller today?

I travel a lot. Mostly for work. Projects in Europe. University visits in the United States. Meetings about regenerative tourism in the Arctic. Teacher training workshops in global geoparks. The irony is not lost on me: I once promised, upon graduating, that I would never set foot inside a school building again. Since then, I have built a career around education, field learning and international collaboration.

And yet, no matter where I go, I always come home to Iceland. There is something deeply Nordic about that rhythm. Travel out. Come back wiser. Or as a recent Icelandic lyric says: "Hver vegur að heiman, er vegurinn heim". Every road away from home, is also the road leading back home.

Að fara í víking

The early settlers of Iceland did not actually call themselves Vikings. The word “Viking” was a verb. To go viking meant to travel, to explore, to trade, occasionally to behave badly (we have improved since then). But crucially, it also meant to return home with stories, skills and perspective.

That part of the tradition is worth keeping.

Today, travel is easier than ever. Flights are frequent. Destinations are curated. Landscapes are photographed before they are understood. But being a traveller in today’s world requires something more than movement. It requires awareness.

Over the past twenty years working in education, sustainability and international cooperation — from vocational training networks to renewable energy programmes to outdoor STEAM education across Europe  — I have come to believe that the most important skill a traveller can develop is not efficiency, but attentiveness.

Glöggt er gests augað

The Icelandic proverb Glöggt er gests augað translates roughly to “the eye of the visitor is keen.” A visitor sees what the local no longer notices. The blackness of a mountain. The cracks in the pavement. The quality of the light. The contradictions in society. The opportunities in your own trait you may have quietly ignored.

But the proverb also carries responsibility. If your eye is keen, you must look carefully — and respectfully. And here is the paradox of being “global” in today’s world. We often think it means looking outward: travelling widely, understanding other cultures, expanding horizons. And it does. But true global awareness also requires the courage to look inward.

When you see another culture clearly, you inevitably begin to see your own more critically. Your habits. Your assumptions. Your blind spots.

A conscious and curious traveller does both. They observe the world — and they examine themselves within it. That is where travel becomes more than movement. That is where it becomes growth.

So what does it mean to be a conscious and curious traveller today?

1. Landscapes are not just backdrops (and definitely not just for Instagram)

First, it means understanding that landscapes are not stage sets designed for our arrival. They are living systems, shaped by forces far older and far more powerful than us.

When you stand on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland, you are not just posing between tectonic plates. You are standing in a region where communities have felt earthquakes beneath their homes and where volcanic systems are part of everyday reality. When you visit a glacier, you are not simply ticking off a landmark. You are witnessing climate change in real time.

The truth is that most travellers have already “seen” these places long before they arrive. Through social media, drone footage, curated reels and filtered sunsets. But there is a difference between consuming an image and experiencing a place.

Curiosity should lead to better questions. Not just “How do I get the best photo?” but “What shaped this landscape?” “How is it changing?” and “Who lives with these forces every day?”

A conscious traveller understands that the view is not there for you. You are there to understand the view.

2. Contribute more than you consume

In our work with regenerative tourism, we often ask a simple question: How can travel leave a place stronger than it found it?

It's not only about minimising your carbon footprint, it's about how you can leave a positive impact. That might mean supporting local producers. It might mean travelling outside peak seasons. Talking to a local person and learning about their lives. It might mean listening to a guide tell a long story rather than rushing to the next viewpoint.

Sometimes contribution is small and practical. Picking up litter that is not yours. Staying on marked paths. Respecting closures even when no one is watching.

I promise you — no one has ever regretted leaving a place slightly better than they found it.

3. Adaptability is a skillset (and in Iceland, often a survival strategy)

Third, it means staying adaptable. I have lived in Denmark for over a decade and spent a couple of years in the United States. Working across cultures has taught me that adaptability is the ability to feel at home while fully aware that you are not at home.

In Iceland, adaptability is more than a soft skill. It is embedded in our culture. When you live with shifting tectonic plates, unpredictable weather and frequent volcanic eruptions, flexibility is not optional. Plans change. Roads close. Nature sets the agenda. You adjust accordingly.

That mindset has shaped how Icelanders think and act. We improvise. We pivot. We rarely assume tomorrow will look exactly like today.

For a traveller, adaptability is humility in action. It means recognising that your way is not the only way. That weather may rewrite your schedule. That people you come across may point you in a direction you did not anticipate. That sometimes the best experiences happen because the itinerary failed.

Or as we say Þetta reddast. It will work out — not because nothing goes wrong, but because we adapt when it does.

4. Let the journey influence you

When we host students at GeoCamp Iceland, we often tell them that travel is not about collecting places. It is about collecting perspectives, memories and stories. If you return home exactly as you left - with the same assumptions, same certainty, same worldview - then you may have moved geographically, but you have not really travelled.

Through the eyes of visitors, I constantly rediscover my own country. Their questions make me pause. Why do we do things this way? Why have I stopped noticing that? Their observations reveal details I had quietly filed away as ordinary.

Travel should do that to you. It should unsettle you slightly. Stretch you. Challenge your habits and your confidence. Not in a dramatic way, but in a reflective one. That is the real exchange. Not just economic. Not just cultural performance. Mutual learning.

Perhaps this is where global citizenship truly begins — not with how many countries you have visited, but with your willingness to examine yourself in light of what you encounter.

The journey should influence you. Otherwise, it was just transportation.

5. Slow down, you’re not a drone

And finally, being a good traveller means slowing down. Not everything needs to be documented. Not every moment needs to be uploaded instantly. Some landscapes deserve to be experienced without a lens between you and the wind.

Stand still. Feel the ground beneath you. Listen to the birds — or in Iceland’s case, listen to the wind. We have a saying: Lognið fer hratt yfir or the calm passes quickly. On the surface, it is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Iceland’s notoriously windy conditions. Even calm weather rarely lasts long. But it is also a reminder that moments are temporary. Stillness is fleeting. If you are always adjusting your camera angle, you may miss the calm entirely.

Travel, at its best, is education. It is philosophy in motion. It is project management without a Gantt chart. It is STEAM learning without classroom walls.

Vits er þörf þeim er víða ratar (Wisdom is needed by those who travel widely)

These words of wisdom written by the early settlers a millennium ago are as timely today as they were then. Movement alone is not enough. The more ground you cover, the more judgement you must carry with you. Travel without reflection is just logistics. Travel with awareness becomes growth.

So yes, go full viking. Travel widely. Be curious. Ask difficult questions. Explore new cultures. Taste unfamiliar food. Get slightly lost. And when you take a wrong turn — pay attention. That is often where the learning begins.

But leave the plundering behind.

Return home with stories, skills and a better understanding of the world ... and of yourself. Because in the end, the most important destination is not the place you visit. It is the person you become on the journey.

As John Lennon wrote, life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. The same is true for travel. The most valuable lessons rarely arrive on schedule. They appear in delays, in wrong turns, in conversations you did not plan to have, in landscapes that you stop to notice, not through the lens, but truly observe.

I once vowed, quite confidently, that I would never set foot inside a classroom again. Today, I realise that every day has become one. Cities. Airports. Conference halls. Fishing villages. Lava fields. Geothermal pools. Sitting at kitchen tables. Listening to stories that shift your assumptions.

The world has a way of educating you.

If you let it.

Arnbjörn Ólafsson
Managing Director, GeoCamp Iceland and a modern-day Viking (minus the plundering)

​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 Learning and 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.