Earlier this month, we travelled to Lanzarote to take part in the first transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ project Green Footprint, a collaboration focused on one simple but important idea. Helping young people travel better.

GeoCamp Iceland is proud to be involved in the project as an associated partner, working alongside Visit Reykjanes, who lead the project, along with partners from Italy and Spain. Together, we are exploring how tourism can shift from being part of the problem to becoming part of the solution.

The setting for the meeting could not have been more fitting. Lanzarote and the Chinijo Islands UNESCO Global Geopark is often described as an “open-air museum”—a landscape shaped by volcanic forces, rich in geological heritage, and at the same time increasingly under pressure from tourism. That balance between value and vulnerability framed much of our discussion.

A key challenge discussed was the growing gap between how places are experienced and how they are presented online. Social media and the so-called “influencer effect” are driving visitors to fragile, often unprepared locations, sometimes with very real consequences for nature and local communities. At the same time, travellers are increasingly relying on digital tools and AI to plan their journeys, which raises an important question: who is shaping that information?

The Green Footprint project is our attempt to step into that space

At the heart of the project is the development of short, engaging video content designed to guide behaviour in a practical way. Not lectures, not rules, but simple, clear messages rooted in real places. From the Icelandic side, we introduced the idea of “Travel like a Guest”. It’s not complicated. If you wouldn’t walk across someone’s garden at home, don’t walk across fragile moss. If a place feels dangerous, it probably is. And if you can leave a place a little better than you found it (even by picking up one piece of litter) you’re already part of the solution.

During the project meeting in Lanzarote we visited volcanic craters, coastal cliffs, lava formations, and cultural sites. Places where the challenges we were discussing are already visible. These field visits grounded the project in reality and will directly shape the content we develop moving forward.

For us at GeoCamp Iceland, this project connects closely with what we already believe: that education, storytelling, and real-world experience are some of the most powerful tools we have to shape the future of travel.

And if we get it right, the goal is simple—people leave not just with photos, but with a better understanding of the places they visit, and maybe even a slightly lighter footprint.

On 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will pass across parts of the North Atlantic and Iceland. For scientists, educators, and students alike, a total eclipse is a rare opportunity to observe how sudden changes in sunlight affect the Earth’s atmosphere and environment.

At GeoCamp Iceland and within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, we are exploring an exciting collaboration with a student research team from Hanover High School in New Hampshire, USA, who plan to conduct a high-altitude balloon (HAB) research mission during the eclipse.

The project is led by science educator Kevin Lavigne and the Hanover High Altitude Ballooning and Engineering Team (HHS HABET)—a student group that designs, builds, and launches scientific payloads to the edge of space.

This collaboration has already begun to take shape through direct exchange. On 24 February, Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson and Arnbjörn Ólafsson from GeoCamp Iceland visited the Hanover team in New Hampshire, meeting with students and gaining first-hand insight into their work, facilities, and approach to hands-on science and engineering. The visit helped lay the groundwork for what is now developing into a shared international project.

From the Classroom to the Edge of Space
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The Hanover students are not just learning about science—they are doing it.

As Kevin Lavigne explains, “The HABET team is a group of students working together to design, build, and launch scientific experiments to the edge of space using high-altitude balloons. What started as a single project has grown into an ongoing programme where students take ownership of meaningful scientific and engineering work.”

At its core, the idea is simple, but powerful: “We want students to do real science. That means solving problems that don’t have easy answers and working as a team toward something ambitious. We want them to see that they are capable of doing work that matters—not someday, but right now.”

This philosophy aligns closely with the approach of GeoCamp Iceland—where learning is grounded in real environments, real data, and real questions.

Real Science, Real Data, Real Responsibility

The students already have extensive experience with high-altitude research, including NASA-supported eclipse campaigns in the United States.

“Students have launched multiple high-altitude balloon flights, designed their own payloads, and collected real scientific data from near space,” Lavigne says. “They’ve worked on atmospheric conditions, radiation, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays—and even presented their work at professional conferences like the American Astronomical Society.”

The balloon payloads themselves are sophisticated systems. They include instruments that measure radiation, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, and environmental conditions, alongside tracking systems and imaging equipment. 

But beyond the technology, the real learning happens in the process.

“It’s hands-on, it’s real, and it requires teamwork,” he explains. “Students aren’t following a script—they’re building something that has to work in a challenging environment. They test, adapt, and figure things out together.”

The Iceland Eclipse Campaign

The proposed Iceland Eclipse Campaign would bring the Hanover team to Reykjanes for a focused field experience centred around the total solar eclipse. The programme combines outreach, preparation, launch, recovery, and data analysis within a short and intensive timeframe. 
Looking ahead to the mission, Lavigne describes the opportunity clearly: “We’ll be traveling to Iceland to work with students and teachers during the total solar eclipse. Together, we plan to launch high-altitude balloons carrying scientific instruments to study how conditions in the atmosphere change during the eclipse.”

One of the most exciting aspects of the project is its collaborative nature.

“The goal is not just to bring our project to Iceland, but to work alongside Icelandic students,” Lavigne says. “That could include preparing payloads, participating in launch operations, and exploring the data together afterward. We want this to feel like a shared experience.”

Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark offers a powerful setting for this collaboration. A landscape shaped by volcanic activity, geothermal energy, and tectonic forces becomes the backdrop for a project that connects Earth systems with space science.

And the ambition goes beyond a single event. “We hope students in Iceland see that science is something they can actively be part of,” he adds. “You don’t have to wait until university to do meaningful work. If this sparks curiosity or confidence, then we’ve done something right.”

At the beginning of March, GeoCamp Iceland welcomed a group of 19 teachers from Denmark who visited Iceland as part of an Erasmus+ KA1 job-shadowing mobility organised by UCL University College in Denmark. The visit focused on learning more about outdoor education and natural science teaching in Icelandic primary schools, and how local landscapes can be used as an active learning environment.

During their stay, the teachers visited two primary schools in Reykjanesbær – Heiðarskóli and Háaleitisskóli. There they were introduced to everyday school life and had the opportunity to observe a variety of regular classroom lessons with different teachers. The visits provided insight into teaching practices in Icelandic schools and created space for discussions about pedagogy, student engagement, and ways of connecting classroom learning with the surrounding environment.

Introducing the ACADIMIA Project

The programme also included an introduction to ACADIMIA – the European Teacher Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learning, an Erasmus+ project that brings together partners from across Europe, including GeoCamp Iceland.

ACADIMIA focuses on strengthening teacher education through creative and inclusive teaching approaches, supporting educators in developing new methods that can engage diverse groups of students. The project promotes practices such as creative learning, collaborative teaching approaches, and innovative pedagogies that help teachers create more inclusive and engaging learning environments. Through international cooperation and training activities, the project aims to build a strong European network of educators sharing ideas and experiences.

Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark as a Classroom

GeoCamp Iceland also guided the group on a full-day field excursion across Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. The excursion focused on how landscapes shaped by volcanic activity, geothermal energy, and coastal ecosystems can serve as an extended classroom for science and environmental education. Throughout the day, discussions centred on how teachers can use natural environments to support observation, inquiry, and hands-on learning.

The programme included a visit to Grindavík, where the group experienced the dynamic conditions of the Reykjanes Peninsula firsthand, along with some authentic Icelandic weather, as the day included a refreshing snowstorm during the outdoor activities.

The visit concluded at the Suðurnes Science and Learning Center (Þekkingarsetur Suðurnesja), where the Danish teachers were introduced to the centre’s work in marine research, environmental monitoring, and science communication.

International Exchange Through Education
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The visit provided an opportunity for professional exchange between Icelandic and Danish educators and highlighted how international collaboration, outdoor learning, and creative teaching approaches can enrich education both inside and outside the classroom.

Field-Based Learning, Scientific Literacy and Teacher Empowerment

On 27 February 2026, GeoCamp Iceland participated in the annual Professional Development Day for Icelandic upper secondary schools. Around 1.700 staff members from 26 schools across the country gathered in Reykjavík for a day dedicated to dialogue, innovation and strengthening educational practice.

At Kvennaskólinn in Reykjavík, more than a hundred science teachers came together for a dedicated programme where GeoCamp Iceland delivered the keynote presentation. Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson and Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir addressed a central question: how do we strengthen scientific literacy and increase student interest in science through field-based and outdoor learning?

Education in Reykjanes Geopark

The message was clear. If we want students to truly engage with science, learning must connect to real environments and lived experience. Nature is not an “extra” component of education, but should be treated as one of our most powerful classrooms.

Through collaboration with Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, schools and industry partners, GeoCamp Iceland has worked systematically to develop curriculum-linked, field-based learning environments where geology, climate science, renewable energy and sustainability are explored in authentic contexts.

Professional Development

The presentation placed strong emphasis on teacher empowerment as a strategic priority. Professional development is not about handing out new materials or isolated methods; it is about building confidence, strengthening professional identity, and creating structured space for educators to lead innovation themselves. When teachers feel secure in outdoor settings, in interdisciplinary thinking, and in facilitating inquiry-based learning, real change happens in classrooms.

In this context, ACADIMIA plays a central role. The project is not merely an exchange of good ideas — it is a European framework for rethinking how outdoor education and active methodologies are embedded in school systems. Through international collaboration, shared field experiences and structured reflection, ACADIMIA equips teachers with practical tools, pedagogical strategies and the confidence to integrate field-based learning into mainstream curricula. It moves outdoor learning from the margins to the core of educational practice.

Together with other international partnerships, ACADIMIA demonstrates that cross-border cooperation is not an added bonus; it is a catalyst. By connecting educators across countries, disciplines and landscapes, we accelerate innovation and support teachers in leading transformative, research-informed learning experiences that prepare students for the environmental and societal challenges of the future.

To change the world, we must first understand the Earth

The strong engagement and discussions throughout the day confirmed what we already know: the commitment to strengthening science education in Iceland is profound. The next step is to continue building bridges — between schools and communities, between science and society, and between classrooms and landscapes.

To change the world, we must first understand the Earth. And that begins outdoors.

Vísindalæsi, útinám og framtíð raunvísindakennslu

Þann 27. febrúar 2026 fór fram árlegur Starfsþróunardagur framhaldsskólanna víðs vegar um höfuðborgarsvæðið. Alls tóku um 1.700 starfsmenn frá 26 framhaldsskólum þátt, bæði af höfuðborgarsvæðinu og landsbyggðinni. Dagurinn var helgaður faglegri umræðu, miðlun reynslu og þróun skólastarfs til framtíðar.

Í Kvennaskólanum í Reykjavík komu yfir 100 raungreinakennarar saman og þar fékk GeoCamp Iceland það hlutverk að flytja aðalerindi dagsins. Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson og Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir fjölluðu um leiðir til að efla vísindalæsi og auka áhuga nemenda á raunvísindum með vettvangsnámi og útikennslu.

Meginskilaboðin voru skýr. Ef við viljum efla skilning og kveikja áhuga þurfum við að tengja kennsluna við raunveruleikann. Náttúran er ekki viðbót við kennslustofuna, heldur sjálf kennslustofan. Með markvissri uppbyggingu í Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark hefur verið unnið að því að nýta svæðið sem lifandi námsumhverfi þar sem jarðfræði, loftslagsmál, endurnýjanleg orka og sjálfbærni eru ekki abstrakt hugtök heldur áþreifanleg viðfangsefni.

Í erindinu var einnig fjallað um hvernig GeoCamp Iceland hefur byggt upp samstarf við skóla á öllum skólastigum á svæðinu, jarðvanginn, háskólasamfélagið og atvinnulíf. Sérstök áhersla var lögð á faglega þróun kennara og mikilvægi þess að styðja þá í að þróa nýjar kennsluaðferðir sem byggja á virkni nemenda og reynslunámi. Þar var meðal annars sagt frá Acadima verkefninu og öðrum alþjóðlegum samstarfsverkefnum sem styðja við nýsköpun í kennslu og útinámi.

Umræður í kjölfar erindisins sýndu skýrt þann metnað og áhuga sem býr í íslenskum raungreinakennurum. Þörfin fyrir að styrkja tengsl milli skóla og samfélags, milli fræða og atvinnulífs, og milli kennslustofu og landslags er augljós ... og viljinn til staðar.

Framtíð raunvísindakennslu byggir á því að gera námið merkingarbært og tengt umhverfi nemenda. Til að breyta heiminum þurfum við fyrst að skilja hann ... og til þess þurfum við að fara út úr hefðbundnu kennslustofunum.