NUNAVUT - Julie Hanson-Akavak of Iqaluit, Reesie Innuaraq of Pond Inlet and Samson Adjuk of Whale Cove are three of the more than 25 Northern aboriginal youths who will explore eastern Baffin Island and Nunavik by ship from Aug. 4 to 20.

Julie Hanson-Akavak sits at the breakwater in Iqaluit. She and about 25 other aboriginal youths will join others from across the world to participate in the Students on Ice Arctic Expedition 2010. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

They, along with approximately 55 other 14 to 19-year-old youths from across Canada and the world, are participating in the Students on Ice Arctic Youth Expedition through the Canadian organization Students on Ice Expeditions. It has offered educational expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic for the past 10 years. Students will visit communities, view wildlife and learn about the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems.

Hanson-Akavak has already visited Cape Dorset and Kimmirut where she has family. This won't be her first time on the water. She has been on numerous boating trips with her parents.

"I am hoping to gain self-confidence and just to give people the message that the North is in danger and it's not too late to stop it from happening," she said.

The Inuksuk High School student will enter Grade 11 in the fall.

"We have a beautiful land and it is changing very fast every day and this expedition is to show us how much it's changing. We can prevent this from happening," she said. "I think it's going to be an experience of a lifetime because I'll get to see what other students my age won't get to see as much."

Nineteen-year-old Innuaraq will enter Grade 12 at Nasivvik High School this fall. She said she is excited to see more of Baffin Island and to learn more about science.

"I decided to participate because it might be good for me and I wanted to try something new," she said. "I'm hoping to learn new things."

As for Adjuk, he said he decided to participate "because I really wanted to go on the ship (and) see some animals."

Geoff Green, founder and executive director of Students on Ice Expeditions, said some Northern students from past expeditions had never seen a bowhead whale or polar bears before, while others had. But when Northern youths witness the reaction of others towards the North, Green added, many of them realize their home is special.

"It actually gives them, in some ways, a greater appreciation for where they're from. Sometimes, you don't always appreciate what's in your own backyard," he said.

Green said he hopes students learn about the culture, history, flora, and fauna of the North, and the larger environmental issues the Arctic is facing during the trip. He added students will also get a taste of the contemporary social, political and economic issues relevant today.

"We also want to give them an experience that will really connect them with the natural world," he said. "By taking them all out to see polar bears and whales and see icebergs and go hiking, we want to give them a greater understanding and respect for Mother Nature and why it's important for us to be taking better care of planet Earth than we are today."

With all of that, Green said he hopes to inspire and motivate the youths.

"We want them to go back and share what they've learned and use it as an experience for their future," he said.

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