students on ice logo

2024 Blue Futures Pathways Expedition: Full Recap

One by one, participants, educators, and staff made their way through the Polar Prince’s maze of corridors to the ship’s hangar for a quick welcome aboard briefing. There, surrounded by a gallery of murals from past expeditions, the potential energy in the room became palpable. When the icebreaker’s engines roared to life and we began … Continued

Blue Futures Pathways Expedition: Update Four

By the time we reached the waters off Quirpon Island, the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, any qualms we had with the Polar Prince’s abilities were gone. Unfortunately, those concerns were replaced by strong westerly winds, the same kind that plagued us earlier in the expedition. Again, we were forced to abandon any landing plans we … Continued

Blue Futures Pathways Expedition: Update Three

At 65 years old, the Polar Prince has lived a long, hard-working life. Sometime around our expedition’s tenth day, its years and mileage caught up with us in the form of electrical issues, causing our southerly pace to slow to a crawl, but we nevertheless made it to Nain, Labrador. Luckily, while work on the … Continued

Blue Futures Pathways Expedition: Update Two

Anyone who has spent time at sea in the Arctic or North Atlantic can confidently tell you that even the best-laid plans will change. Being able to roll with the proverbial punches that often come in the form of waves, wind, and ice is crucial. Students On Ice knows this well, so well that “flexibility … Continued

Blue Futures Pathways Expedition: Update One

Iqaluit may not immediately conjure images of blue skies,  green tundra, and roads lined by dwarf fireweed, but it’s what we were greeted with when we arrived in the capital of Nunavut this past Saturday. This was the starting point for this year’s Blue Futures Pathways expedition. Our time in Iqaluit really began the next … Continued