INUVIK
Two students from the Mackenzie Delta are going to be on ice this month.

Jen Costa, left, of Parks Canada poses with Karen Benoit and Melody Teddy, who have been chosen to participate in the Students on Ice program this month. They'll be travelling to Greenland on an exploratory cruise. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Karen Benoit of Aklavik and Melody Teddy of Tuktoyaktuk were among a group of students chosen to participate in the Students on Ice program this summer. They both will be spending most of the summer in Inuvik, where they have ties.

Students on Ice is an award-winning organization providing unique educational opportunities to the Antarctic and the Arctic, the website states.

Through a three-year agreement, Parks Canada is contributing approximately $150,000 a year to sponsor 13 student participants per year in the program.

That means they'll be exploring the eastern Arctic around Greenland by boat, and spending the summer working at the Parks Canada office in Inuvik.

Both young women sat down for an interview with the Inuvik Drum on July 4. Both were shy about the program, but quite articulate about why they want to participate.

Teddy is 17 years old and has just finished Grade 11.

"I applied at the beginning of June. I applied because I wanted the experience of being on the boat, and meeting people and just sharing and comparing cultures and experiences," she said.

Benoit is 16 years old and is a student at Moose Kerr School in Aklavik.

"I wanted to do this because I wanted the experience of travelling and seeing other places," she said.

They had just begun working with Parks Canada a day or two before they were interviewed.

So far, they had been spending their time researching the eastern Arctic, Teddy said, and focusing on the different ecology to be found there.

"We're looking at the animals and plants and how they survive and the differences in culture."

"There's not a lot of difference," Benoit added. "We know Greenland is a lot colder than here and there's some different animals. I've never looked at it that carefully before."

Jen Costa, a Parks Canada staff member working with Teddy and Benoit, said each one will be teamed up with a southern partner during the expedition.

"We got paired up to share our experiences and the culture," Teddy said.

"We're going to share and compare our experiences together."

Costa said when they return from the expedition, they'll spend the rest of their time with Parks Canada working on presentations from their trip, particularly using social media.

"We're really excited," said Teddy.

"And everybody in the office said they're basically jealous of us and wanted to know how they could sign up for it."

Costa said the program is part of an effort by Parks Canada to reach out to youth, particularly urban youth, to introduce them to more natural environments, particularly in the North. "The focus is doing some outreach and posting some things on Facebook that share their experiences and hopefully trying to reach more urban youth across the country," she said.

Northern residents, such as Teddy and Benoit, are being offered the chance to travel as well as be ambassadors for the North.

The trip began with a trip to Ottawa on June 8, and will continue until July 24.

Teddy said she's had a chance to travel across Canada, but had never been outside the country before.

The young women will return to Inuvik on July 27 to begin their outreach work.

"I'm just looking forward to being there," Teddy said.