Girls on Ice offers free Earth science glaciology program for teenage girls

Gulkana Glacier, Alaska

An exciting opportunity is available for teenage girls between the ages of 16-18 who are interested in taking a mountain adventure during their summer vacation. The program, which offers a wilderness education experience, free of charge, is taking applications through Jan. 29 for its two glaciology expeditions this year.

Girls on Ice, a non-profit wilderness science education program for young women, will take two teams of nine girls and three instructors on a 12-day trek into Alaska or Washington for field work in alpine landscapes, Lake County News reports Jan. 22. The teams will explore and study mountain glaciers and high mountain terrains alongsideprofessional glaciologists, ecologists, artists and mountaineers.

Applicants will be placed in two groups:

Girls on Ice North Cascades will bring participants to Mount Baker in Washington state. There, participants will explore a glacier, the mountain and the surrounding alpine meadows. The trip is open to applicants from all around the world. The expedition runs from July 10 to July 21.

The second team of young women will explore the Gulkana Glacier in the Alaska Range while hiking and camping in the Alaskan alpine landscape. This arm of the program is open to young women from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Yukon and California. This expedition runs from June 17 to June 28.

Participants will learn mountaineering and how to conduct their own science experiments. The program is also designed to challenge participants and help them gain self-confidence on many levels while also integrating lessons in Earth science.

For more information on how to apply, visit the Girls on Ice website.

*originally published on the now defunct Examiner.com