Inspiring Girls Expeditions offers tuition-free wilderness science expeditions that challenge high school girls intellectually and physically, while cultivating leadership skills. From mountaineering and snow science on Mt. Baker in Washington State to glacier exploration in the Alaska Range, programs bring together a diverse and inclusive group of young women who hail from communities underrepresented in both science and the outdoors. These once-in-a-lifetime experiences foster confidence, leadership, and openness to new ideas – all in some of our most majestic northern mountains.
Erin Pettit
Inspiring Girls Expeditions
A grant from The Cairn Project will support Inspiring Girls Expeditions’ two Alaska summer expeditions: Girls on Ice Alaska and Girls in Icy Fjords. These programs cultivate girls’ natural curiosity, inspire and connect their interests in science, art, and the outdoors, and encourage trust in their physical, intellectual, and leadership abilities in an inclusive and welcoming environment. IGE participants ultimately design and conduct their own research projects, incorporating technical outdoor skills to collect their data. The expedition concludes with a presentation to a public audience, in which the girls practice their public speaking skills through presenting their research findings and sharing stories from their experience in the wilderness. Most girls on these tuition-free expeditions identify with racial and economic groups that are underrepresented in field sciences, the arts, and the outdoors.