This Experiential Education course includes a travel component and an additional associated fee. Financial aid may be available.

Travel to: Iceland
Travel Dates: February 2–8, 2027
Cost: ~ $5,000 exclusive of airfare
Certificate Pursuit: Sustainability or Global Citizenship & Awareness

This interdisciplinary, cross-listed course in the English and Wellbeing Departments,
explores the deep connections between culture, environmental sustainability, and the
belief that humans are not separate from nature, but fundamentally a part of it. The New England winter landscape will be our inspiration and starting point, frequently venturing outside school and beyond, to discover the peace, joy, and energy that come from time spent outdoors. Then the class will venture to the wild landscapes of Iceland, “the land of fire and ice,” so that students can experience how this island nation’s history, culture, and economic development have been shaped by the land, climate, mythology, and ecological responsibility.

To prepare for our journey to Iceland, we will draw on Icelandic poetry, sagas, essays, and modern environmental writing. Students will explore how language becomes a means of attending to the natural world—volcanoes, glaciers, lava fields, coastlines, and shifting light—and how storytelling shapes cultural values around stewardship, resilience, and belonging. Writing will serve as both an academic and personal practice, encouraging students to articulate their relationship to place and to consider how landscapes influence identity, ethics, and wellbeing.

Cross-listed with English. Open to rising juniors and seniors. Available spring term only.