 On Monday, 29 September 2025, GeoCamp Iceland, in collaboration with Háaleitisskóli at Ásbrú in Reykjanesbær, hosted a hands-on teacher training workshop introducing two creative and inclusive teaching methods: Creative STEAM and Digital Storytelling. The event was part of the ongoing Erasmus+ project ACAδIMIA, a three-year European initiative focused on strengthening creative and student-centred pedagogy across the continent. The workshop drew strong participation from across the peninsula, with 27 teachers from seven schools attending, representing both preschools and primary schools. Sessions were led by an excellent team of local educators: Sara Ross Bjarnadóttir (Gerðaskóli), Freydís Kneif Kolbeinsdóttir (Háaleitisskóli), Ragnheiður Alma Snæbjörnsdóttir (Akurskóli), and Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir, GeoCamp Iceland’s project manager for educational outreach and representative of Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. A European Academy for Creative and Inclusive Teaching ACAδIMIA brings together teachers from eight partner countries, including several educators from the Reykjanes region and staff from GeoCamp Iceland. The School of Education at the University of Iceland also plays an active role, alongside teachers from the capital area and Akranes. The project functions as a kind of European teachers’ academy, exploring and sharing 11 creative teaching methods developed in different parts of Europe but brought together under one framework. These methods draw inspiration from Montessori, drama education, dialogic teaching, gamification, creative coding and other innovative approaches. They are designed to be flexible, inclusive and suitable for diverse groups of learners — from early childhood through upper primary and beyond. Building Skills, Confidence and Community The Reykjanes workshop gave teachers practical tools they can apply directly in the classroom. Creative STEAM encourages hands-on, interdisciplinary learning rooted in curiosity and problem-solving, while Digital Storytelling invites students to experiment with narrative, identity and technology. ACAδIMIA has developed a shared curriculum for all partner countries. Over the coming months, workshops across Europe — including on the Reykjanes Peninsula — will deepen teachers’ skills and help build a community of practice around creative and inclusive pedagogy. GeoCamp Iceland is proud to support this effort and to invite more teachers from the region to participate. As classrooms become increasingly complex, these methods offer practical, inspiring ways to reach students and strengthen learning across subjects. More workshops will be offered in the coming months, covering all 11 methods featured within the ACAδIMIA project.  This September marks the beginning of the Nordplus Junior project Digitalisation vs. Nature (Project No. NPJR-2025/10164), as educators from across Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, and Iceland gather in Reykjanes for the kick-off meeting. The project is motivated by a common concern: children and young people are spending more and more time in digital environments, often at the expense of their health, social skills, and connection to nature. Our shared goal is to create learning practices that balance the benefits of digital tools with outdoor, hands-on, and collaborative experiences that nurture well-being, creativity, and sustainability. Meeting Content and Pedagogical Focus The Iceland meeting was designed not just as an introduction but as a lived example of what the project stands for. Discussions focused on how STEAM subjects can be taught in ways that move beyond the screen and into the environment around us. Teachers and coordinators reflected on current challenges in education, such as over-digitalisation and disengagement, and explored practical strategies for teaching science, mathematics, and technology through nature-based approaches. The site visits were chosen to highlight how pedagogy can be grounded in place. In Reykjavík, participants experimented with creative approaches that combine coding and art, showing how digital concepts can be transformed into tangible, outdoor learning activities. Visits to the Suðurnes Science Center, local schools, and the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark demonstrated how scientific knowledge, environmental awareness, and cultural heritage can all be connected in active learning. By linking mathematics to Iceland’s unique landscapes, or biology to its coastal ecosystems, the group experienced first-hand how natural environments provide powerful, memorable contexts for teaching abstract concepts. Building Resources Together The outcome of the project goes beyond these shared experiences, developing a joint handbook of teaching methods and activities for STEAM subjects in outdoor settings. This resource will help teachers reduce the negative effects of excessive screen use while promoting creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. It will also serve as a model for how to adapt nature-based approaches to different age groups and learning needs, including students with special educational requirements. The Iceland meeting has set the tone for the entire project. That learning happens best when it bridges technology, creativity, and the natural world. The next steps will take the partnership to Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, where each country will build on this foundation and explore how STEAM can be taught outdoors in different seasons and environments. Together, these experiences will provide students and teachers with tools to live, learn, and thrive in balance with both digitalisation and nature.  We’re proud to see Keilir mountain, one of the iconic landmarks of Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, featured on the cover of UNESCO’s new flagship publication: “UNESCO Global Geoparks: Celebrating Earth Heritage, Sustaining Local Communities.”
This stunning photo is more than just a beautiful image—it represents Iceland’s unique geological heritage and the vital role our landscapes play in education, community development, and sustainable tourism. Published in September 2025, this official UNESCO book highlights the global impact of Geoparks across 50 countries. It showcases how these designated territories connect Earth science with local culture, education, and innovation—values that are at the heart of GeoCamp Iceland’s mission. The book offers a powerful visual and narrative journey through the diversity of UNESCO Global Geoparks, making it a fantastic resource for educators, researchers, and policy makers interested in sustainability, geotourism, and place-based learning.
For us at GeoCamp Iceland, it’s a reminder of how Iceland’s dramatic landscapes inspire international collaboration and learning. And we couldn’t be more thrilled to see Keilir leading the way.  From 8–12 September 2025, representatives from GeoCamp Iceland and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark travelled to Temuco in southern Chile to participate in the 11th International Global Geoparks Conference (GGN 2025). Hosted by Kütralkura UNESCO Global Geopark, the event gathered hundreds of delegates from geoparks around the world under the theme “From Ancestral Knowledge towards Future Geoparks: Technologies and Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.” The Araucanía region, with its volcanic landscapes, ancient araucaria forests, and rich Mapuche-Pewenche cultural heritage, provided an inspiring backdrop for a conference dedicated to connecting science, culture, and community in the geopark framework. The Icelandic delegation included Arnbjorn Olafsson and Olafur Jon Arnbjornsson from GeoCamp Iceland, Þuríður Aradóttir Braun and Daníel Einarsson from Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, and Sigurður Sigursveinsson from Katla Geopark. Together, they highlighted how Icelandic geoparks are developing innovative approaches to outdoor learning, regenerative tourism, and cultural heritage while strengthening ties to the international geopark network. Presentations and Posters Iceland contributed three oral presentations and five posters, covering a wide spectrum of topics. These showcased the innovative work happening in Reykjanes and beyond:
Each of these contributions underscored the role of Reykjanes as both a laboratory for Earth sciences and a hub for cultural storytelling, sustainability, and education. Looking Ahead Beyond the formal program, the Icelandic participants engaged actively with other geopark representatives, exchanged experiences on education and tourism development, and explored possibilities for future partnerships. The presence of Icelandic voices at GGN 2025 underscored the growing role of geoparks in addressing global challenges through local action. By sharing approaches that blend geoscience, cultural storytelling, regenerative tourism, and education, Reykjanes and Katla contributed to a global dialogue about how geoparks can serve as living laboratories for resilience and innovation. From the volcanic landscapes of Chile to the lava fields of Iceland, the conference demonstrated the strength of international cooperation in shaping the future of geoparks — and the future of education, sustainability, and community engagement they inspire.  GeoCamp Iceland partners the Nordplus Junior “Digitalisation vs. Nature” project — a two-year initiative running from August 2025 to July 2027. The project brings together schools and organisations from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, and Iceland, united by a common concern: how to counterbalance the growing dominance of digital environments in the lives of young people.
Project aim The project directly addresses the risks of excessive screen time, which can harm mental health, social development, and physical well-being. By reconnecting students with nature and integrating seasonal outdoor learning into STEAM education, the project seeks to promote healthier, more balanced lifestyles. The guiding idea is that technology should complement, not replace, the natural environments where students can grow, explore, and learn together. Planned results Over the course of four mobility visits across the partner countries, teachers and students will explore how STEAM subjects can be taught outside the classroom in autumn, winter, spring, and summer. From tracking wildlife in Estonian forests to exploring the physics of ice and snow in Finland, each exchange highlights the value of learning through real-world environments. The outcomes will be gathered into a comprehensive handbook offering adaptable teaching materials and inclusive guidelines, ensuring that the methods developed can benefit a wide range of schools and students, including those with special needs. The project also places strong emphasis on teacher development, equipping educators with practical approaches to sustainability, climate awareness, and creative outdoor pedagogy. Partnership The project is coordinated by Valmiera Gaujas krasta Secondary School – Development Centre in Latvia, with partners including GeoCamp Iceland, Porkuni Special School in Estonia, Pasvalys Riešuto School in Lithuania, and Villa School in Finland. Together, these institutions represent a diverse educational network, ranging from special needs schools to outdoor learning organisations, creating a rich foundation for exchange and collaboration. GeoCamp Iceland’s role As the Icelandic partner, GeoCamp Iceland plays a central role in shaping the educational content and pedagogical innovation. We will host the first mobility visit in October 2025, laying the conceptual groundwork for the rest of the project. Our contribution includes developing the framework for digital detox and nature-based education, sharing expertise in sustainability and climate science, and supporting the creation of the project handbook. With our strong background in field-based learning, we aim to ensure that the project is firmly rooted in real-world geoscience and hands-on educational practice. By the end of the project, the partnership will have created not only practical teaching resources but also a stronger culture of international cooperation. For GeoCamp Iceland, this is an opportunity to share our methods in outdoor learning while gaining valuable new perspectives from colleagues across the Nordic-Baltic region.  This August marks the launch of an new project under Nordplus Horizontal “Empowering Educators: Nordic Geoparks as Cross-Sectoral Hubs for Lifelong Learning”, led by Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark in Iceland and partnerd by geoparks in all Nordic countries as well as GeoCamp Iceland. The two-year project, running from August 2025 to August 2027, brings together UNESCO Global Geoparks across the Nordic region to strengthen teacher resources in outdoor education and to further develop geoparks as living classrooms. A Nordic partnership for education and sustainability The project is coordinated by Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark in Iceland, with formal partners including Odsherred (Denmark), Platåbergens (Sweden), Rokua (Finland), and Gea Norvegica (Norway) UNESCO Global Geoparks. Associated partners add further depth and expertise, among them the Balthazar Science Center in Sweden, the Suðurnes Science & Learning Centre, Gerðaskóli Primary School, and GeoCamp Iceland. Building skills for the future At the heart of the project is the aim to equip teachers with practical, place-based methods for climate, sustainability, and STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education. Activities will include:
Towards long-term cooperation The project will culminate in an international conference in Iceland in 2027, where results will be shared with educators, policymakers, and stakeholders. The ultimate goal is to lay the foundation for long-term Nordic cooperationin education and community engagement, positioning geoparks as central hubs for innovation in outdoor learning. We are proud that GeoCamp Iceland is part of this forward-looking partnership, contributing our experience in field-based education and teacher training. Follow the project on Facebook for updates: Empowering Educators Images from the first transnational meeting in Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark  In August 2018, GeoCamp Iceland hosted graduate students and professors from Yale University’s Archaia: Program for the Study of Global Antiquity for a two-week summer course that stretched across two countries — Iceland and Greenland. Based at GeoCamp Iceland, the group explored Iceland’s extraordinary volcanic landscapes and cultural heritage through a programme designed and delivered in collaboration with their faculty leaders, Professors Joe Manning (History & Classics), Anders Winroth (History), and Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir (Humanities and Medieval Studies). Together with our local experts, GeoCamp guided the group through field lectures at sites such as Öræfajökull in Vatnajökull National Park, the lava fields shaped by Iceland’s largest eruptions, and the sagas embedded in the landscape. The course linked Earth sciences with the humanities: paleoclimatology, volcanology, and geology were studied alongside Norse settlement, medieval history, and the Icelandic saga tradition. This interdisciplinary approach reflects our core mission at GeoCamp — to create learning experiences where natural and human archives meet, giving students a deeper understanding of how societies adapt to environmental change. Among other highlights was the group’s journey from Iceland to Greenland, where GeoCamp Iceland facilitated a visit to the Greenland Climate Research Centre in Nuuk. There, students and professors engaged with leading experts on climatology, environmental studies, and the Greenlandic fishing industry, while exploring the legacies of Norse and Inuit settlement in one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions. The Yale Archaia programme remains a landmark example of how GeoCamp Iceland connects academic institutions with the living classrooms of the North Atlantic. With growing interest from universities in combining Iceland and Greenland within their study abroad and field courses, this pioneering trip continues to inspire new ways of learning — across disciplines, across borders, and directly in the field. |
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GeoCamp Iceland is an educational project and travel agency dedicated to increasing knowledge and understanding in natural sciences with practical and active learning. We develop educational content, student and teacher guides and curricula, organize and receive international study groups focusing primarily on natural sciences, environmental challenges, climate change and STEM education.
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