GeoCamp Iceland has - as coordinator for educational development in Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark - completed a needs assessment on outdoor education within the geopark. The survey was carried out as part of the Nordplus project Empowering Educators, which aims to map opportunities for outdoor learning in Nordic geoparks. It was conducted in close cooperation with teachers across Reykjanes and highlights both the strengths and the challenges related to outdoor learning in local schools. The results confirm that teachers at all school levels are keen to use outdoor environments in their teaching and make extensive use of the surrounding nature, but require more support to fully realise the potential that outdoor learning offers.

According to the assessment, teachers in the Reykjanes Geopark actively draw on the rich natural diversity of the area—including lava fields, geothermal sites, rocky coastlines and moss-covered landscapes—to strengthen students’ scientific literacy, creativity, reading skills and social development. Outdoor learning has become a regular part of school activities in many schools, with strong emphasis on connecting learning to students’ lived experience and encouraging curiosity and exploration in nature.

The results also reveal several obstacles that limit the scope of outdoor teaching. Lack of time and tightly structured timetables are among the most common challenges, along with weather conditions and the fact that many students are not dressed appropriately for outdoor activities. Teachers also expressed a need for greater confidence in outdoor pedagogy, including methods, planning, and using natural environments as learning spaces. In addition, many noted a lack of accessible teaching materials such as ready-made tasks and curriculum-aligned resources for outdoor learning.

Nordic Geoparks Emphasise Outdoor Learning

Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark leads the two-year Nordplus project, launched in autumn 2025, which aims to connect the region’s natural environment, geology, history and sustainability with education and teaching. Through the project, the geopark will develop new teaching materials, strengthen field-based learning and outdoor education, offer workshops for teachers and support schools wishing to make more active use of the geopark.  

The geopark will also host a shared Nordic database compiling outdoor learning resources for geoparks, including simple activities, exemplary practice and safety guidelines. The goal is to enable teachers to take students outdoors more frequently, supported by better tools and stronger alignment with the national curriculum. The project will furthermore prepare and deliver a series of professional development courses for teachers, focusing on outdoor education, teaching methods and field-based learning across Nordic geoparks.

Teachers Call for Stronger Collaboration with International Colleagues

One of the clearest findings from the survey is that teachers in Reykjanes are highly interested in expanding international cooperation and strengthening their professional networks with teachers facing similar challenges in other countries.

They see opportunities for inspiration from colleagues abroad—particularly through the exchange of good practice, lesson ideas and teaching methods related to sustainability, climate education, nature and environmental awareness. Participation in the Nordplus project, along with other international development initiatives, will create new opportunities for collaboration, joint planning of professional development courses, and teacher exchanges between Nordic geoparks.

Schools Already Implementing Outdoor Learning in Meaningful Ways

The assessment reveals numerous examples of successful outdoor learning among schools in the Reykjanes Geopark. Many teachers already use the geopark as a living classroom, guiding students through field-based investigations and creative activities connected to the surrounding environment and cultural history. Some teachers use outdoor settings deliberately to strengthen scientific understanding and creativity, for example through story walks or creative writing linked to natural features. There are also many cases of shorter outings, where students complete focused tasks on school grounds or in the immediate neighbourhood.

The findings emphasise the importance of better supporting teachers in using the geopark’s unique environment for science communication and outdoor learning. Over the course of the project, Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark will work closely with schools, municipalities and Nordic partners to develop user-friendly teaching materials and strengthen teachers’ professional skills in outdoor education within geoparks.

Empowering Educators is part of Nordplus Horizontal and runs until 2027. The results of the needs assessment will be used to guide teacher training, resource development and collaborative projects among Nordic geoparks in the coming years.

Reflections on a transformative professional development journey—now featured in The Exeter Bulletin, Fall 2025

When eight science faculty members from Phillips Exeter Academy travelled to southwest Iceland for a six-day field experience last August, they stepped directly into the landscapes that have shaped Iceland’s identity, energy systems and scientific innovation. Their journey—guided by GeoCamp Iceland and designed in collaboration with the University of Iceland—has now been captured in a full feature in the Exeter Bulletin (Fall 2025). It’s a thoughtful and beautifully told reflection on what happens when educators immerse themselves in one of the world’s most dynamic geoscience environments.

For GeoCamp Iceland, welcoming the Exeter team was a natural fit. Their backgrounds in physics, chemistry and biology aligned seamlessly with our mission: to turn Iceland into an active learning space where teachers and students can explore Earth processes, sustainability and climate change first-hand.

A Week of Hands-On Learning in Active Landscapes

The article highlights how quickly Iceland reveals itself as a “living classroom.” Under the guidance of Öli (Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson), the group traced fresh lava flows, learned how seismic activity is monitored in real time, and followed retreating glacier margins shaped by warming trends over the last decades.

At one glacier site, they knelt to taste water streaming from newly exposed melt channels—rivulets forming almost in front of their eyes. These “glacier tears,” as one instructor described them, underscored the urgency and emotional resonance of studying climate change on location rather than in theory.

Energy Systems, Geothermal Innovation and Sustainability

The Exeter faculty also toured the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant, where they explored Iceland’s renewable energy infrastructure and the now-world-famous CarbFix project, which mineralises carbon dioxide back into stone.

Their reflections echo a key message we share with all visiting groups: Iceland is not only a landscape shaped by natural forces but a laboratory for sustainable solutions. Seeing miles of geothermal pipelines snake across the valleys, witnessing CO₂ turned into basalt, and discussing the ethics of resource use gave teachers a fuller, more critical view of how societies navigate energy transitions.

People, Culture and Perspectives on Stewardship

The journey wasn’t purely scientific. The Exeter Bulletin piece describes meaningful conversations about Iceland’s social history and cultural ethos—especially the responsibility Icelanders feel toward protecting their natural heritage.

The group visited historical sites, discussed conservation pioneers like Sigríður Tómasdóttir of Gullfoss, and explored how geothermal abundance shapes both daily life and national debate. Teacher Susan Park summarised the experience powerfully: “To be in conversation with a living author who is immersed in the cultural significance of a global science-informed issue was fascinating.”

That author was Andri Snær Magnason, whose book On Time and Water many of the teachers had read before the trip. Their afternoon with him became a masterclass in storytelling, climate communication and hope.

A GeoCamp Tradition: Hospitality and Community

As with many GeoCamp trips, the week ended not in a lecture hall but at a family table—this time at Öli’s farmhouse, where stories, songs and camaraderie flowed as easily as the geothermal hot water beneath the region.

These moments matter. They remind visiting educators that science is lived, shared and embedded in community.

Why This Matters for Teachers—and for GeoCamp Iceland

Exeter’s article captures exactly why faculty development trips in Iceland are so impactful. Teachers return home with sharper tools, richer analogies and a stronger sense of connection between Earth systems and human choices. Their students benefit from that excitement—and from lesson plans grounded in direct field observation rather than distant abstraction.

For GeoCamp Iceland, this collaboration reaffirms the value of our approach: outdoor learning, close partnership with experts, access to cutting-edge science, and authentic encounters with Iceland’s landscapes and people.

We are grateful to Phillips Exeter Academy for sharing their experience so thoughtfully—and we look forward to welcoming future groups who want to step into the same extraordinary classroom.

​Read the Exeter Bullitin [PDF]

Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark has received a 2,7 million ISK grant from the Development Fund of Suðurnes for an ambitious new initiative: Great Eclipse Glasses. The project, run by Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir on behalf of GeoCamp Iceland through our education service contract, marks a major step in preparing the region for the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026.

The eclipse will be a rare and unforgettable experience for most of us — the kind of celestial event that sparks lifelong curiosity. Around the world, eclipses are used as powerful teaching moments to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Reykjanes is now taking this opportunity seriously and creatively.

Nine Large-Scale Artworks Across the Geopark

The project centres on installing nine large outdoor artworks shaped like oversized eclipse glasses in every urban area of the Geopark. These installations serve a dual purpose: they function as safe eclipse-viewing stations, and they become striking gathering points on the day of the event. Long after the eclipse has passed, they will remain as public artworks — adaptable spaces that schools, municipalities, cultural institutions and community groups can use in a variety of ways.

A Community-Driven, Creative and Educational Approach

Behind the playful design lies a strong educational aim. The project aligns with the Geopark’s mission to build scientific literacy, strengthen community participation, and offer accessible outdoor learning experiences for young people.

Work is already underway to secure funding for eclipse glasses and a dedicated educational booklet for every primary school student on the Reykjanes Peninsula. In addition, the Geopark is preparing spring visits to all local schools with Sævar Helgi Bragason, who will lead astronomy workshops for children and teachers.

All of this fits within GeoCamp Iceland’s ongoing commitment to STEAM education, science communication and creating meaningful connections between learners, nature and society.

A Partnership Built on Local Strengths

The Great Eclipse Glasses project is being developed in close collaboration with the Municipalities of Suðurnes, Visit Reykjanes, local companies and schools. This cooperation reflects the region’s growing identity as a dynamic hub for science, creativity and sustainability. The grant allows partners to prepare safely and thoughtfully for an event that will draw attention to Reykjanes from around the world.

As we move closer to August 2026, excitement will only grow. GeoCamp Iceland is proud to support this work, contributing our expertise in outdoor learning, youth engagement and science outreach. For the young people living on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the eclipse will be more than a spectacular moment in the sky — it will be a chance to explore big questions, connect with their environment and see themselves within a wider universe.

We look forward to sharing updates as the project develops and as the Great Eclipse Glasses begin to take shape across the landscape.

GeoCamp Iceland enters a new chapter with shared ownership. Arnbjörn Ólafsson (Managing Director) and Þuríður H. Aradóttir Braun are now 50% owners, alongside our founder Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson, who remains a 50% owner and active director.

This isn’t a change in values, but a reinforcement for the future. The founding vision is now paired even more tightly with day-to-day leadership and financial stewardship, giving us the stability and capacity to keep doing what we do best: turning Iceland into a living classroom. Our mission remains clear and constant: strengthen educational activities within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark and continue to welcome international student and faculty groups to Iceland.

At home, our focus is simple, to make high-quality, place-based learning easier for schools to run and more impactful for students. Expect curriculum-aligned materials, practical fieldwork frameworks, and professional development that helps teachers use the Geopark’s unique landscapes as an outdoor classroom.

Internationally, we’ll keep delivering study programmes that combine academic depth with safe, expertly guided field experiences. Universities, colleges and schools can expect the same GeoCamp hallmarks. Clear learning outcomes, strong scientific content, and itineraries that connect geology, energy, climate and culture in meaningful ways.

Shared ownership gives GeoCamp Iceland the best of both worlds: continuity of purpose and the momentum to grow our educational impact, both locally in Reykjanes and across the international communities we serve. Same people, same values, stronger platform ... for a sustainable future.