Are you interested in joining an expedition team next summer? We don’t require any specific skill sets, just a willingness to learn, explore, and challenge yourself in a new environment!

We have several eligibility requirements to participate in our expeditions, so before starting your application, make sure you read our Frequently Asked Questions (below).

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Inspiring Girls* Expeditions combines science, art, inquiry, and outdoor exploration. We seek engaged, multi-faceted participants. When selecting our expedition teams, we look for diversity in our applicants' backgrounds and interests; we believe the diversity of our program makes our expeditions so much stronger and more insightful. Because we look for applicants who will share their perspectives and learn from one another, we do not choose team members based solely on their individual applications. We choose the team as a whole, according to what each member brings to the team.

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Living, Learning, & Safety on our Expeditions

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Participants must be able to…

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• Understand and follow instructions, whether supervised or not.
• Contribute to a safe and social learning environment; maintain appropriate relationships with other team members and instructors; refrain from sexual activity, harassment, and bullying; and refrain from all other behaviors that disrupt the learning and safety of the group.
• Work effectively as a team member throughout potentially stressful or difficult conditions. This may require problem-solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Exhibit willingness and ability to participate in small and large group activities including camp chores (cooking, water purification, etc), group lessons, and science projects.

• We offer field expeditions and virtual programs for high school girls* to empower them to lead and succeed through science, art, and outdoor exploration.
• Applicants must be 16-18 years old on June 1 of the expedition year, and currently enrolled in high school (including graduating in the spring before expeditions start).
• *We welcome cisgender girls and transgender, agender, Two Spirit, nonbinary, intersex, and genderqueer youth to our programs.
• The Essential Eligibility Criteria listed below are meant to explain the basic abilities each participant must possess to safely and successfully participate in our programs. Please note that all specialized skills listed below (i.e., the ability to ascend rock walls with limited support) will be taught and demonstrated by qualified instructors before participants are asked to attempt them. We do not expect our participants to arrive at our programs with the knowledge and skill to live outside for multiple days, hike, mountaineer, rock climb, sea kayak, and/or packraft, but participants must have the ability to learn the skills necessary to participate safely.
• Please review these Essential Eligibility Criteria prior to completing an application for Inspiring Girls Expeditions. If you do not meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria for one type of expedition (i.e., a mountaineering program) but you do meet criteria for another (i.e., sea kayaking), you will be able to specify that in your application. We welcome participants who identify as disabled and recognize that individuals may need to discuss these eligibility criteria and potential accommodations before or after applying.

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FAQ

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How old do I have to be to apply?

• For expeditions in the United States and Canada, applicants must be 16, 17, or 18 years old on June 1 of the expedition year, and still enrolled in high school or graduating from high school the same year as the expedition. For expeditions in Europe, applicants must be 15, 16, or 17 on June 1 of the expedition year.

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Do you accept applications from outside of the United States, Canada, and Switzerland/Austria?

• We accept applications from all countries, but we rarely select more than one applicant living outside of the United States, Canada, or Switzerland/Austria on any expedition.

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What are the language requirements?

• All participants must have the ability to understand and respond quickly to instructions in the expedition language for safety reasons. All expeditions in the United States and Canada are conducted in English, and Girls* on Ice Europe is conducted in German or French.

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• Girls* on Ice Europe requires participants to have a solid B2 level of German or French, preferably a C1 or above.

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Why do some of the expeditions "prioritize" applicants from specific geographic regions?

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• Some of our expeditions prioritize applicants from specific regions as a requirement of some of our funding partners and agencies. If you do not live in one of the regions listed below, you are still welcome and encouraged to apply for an expedition.

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• Girls on Ice Alaska, Girls on Water, and Girls* in the Forest prioritize applicants living in Alaska.

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• Girls* on Rock prioritizes applicants living in Colorado.

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• Girls* on Ice Canada accepts applicants living in Canada.

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• Girls on Ice Europe accepts German- or French-speaking applicants. Girls on Ice Europe requires a comfortable B2 level of German or French, preferably a C1 level or above.

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What is your gender eligibility?

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• Inspiring Girls* Expeditions welcomes cisgender girls and transgender, agender, Two Spirit, nonbinary, intersex, and genderqueer youth.

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Do you accept applications from homeschooled youth?

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• Yes, homeschooled youth are eligible to apply for Inspiring Girls* Expeditions. Please note that everyone, regardless of where you are enrolled in school, will need to provide two recommendation forms. These forms may be completed by people who play a strong "teacher" role in your life. Family friends generally do not fit this role, unless they have also played a specific teacher role in your life. Recommendations written by family members are not acceptable.

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Can I participate if I have a dietary requirement or restriction?

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• We are able to accommodate many dietary requirements and restrictions, and we can accommodate dietary preferences such as vegetarian; however, we cannot guarantee that all dietary preferences can be accommodated. Examples of a dietary requirement or restriction include: lactose-intolerance, Celiac's disease, kosher, Halal, or any food allergy. Please make note of your dietary requirements and restrictions on your application. If you are selected as a participant, we will work with you and your doctor to make sure that you will be happy and healthy on your expedition. In some cases, if your dietary requirements or restrictions result in costs above those normally associated with providing food to participants, we may ask your family for financial assistance to help us remain within our budget.

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Is Inspiring Girls* Expeditions only for participants with financial need?

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• No. Our expeditions are open to applicants from all financial backgrounds. As a tuition-free program, however, we do make an effort to select participants who may not otherwise have access to a program like ours.