This expedition is special for many reasons; first it is the first University credit course program. Also, there are 71 students participating from 12 countries. Many interesting people are participating, including two Inuit youth from Canada's northernmost community - Grise Fiord. They will be participating in an IPY project during the expedition to compare and contrast the Polar Regions and the impacts of climate change. Thanks to support from Canada's IPY Federal Program, SOI is making a one-hour documentary about their journey and their connection to the late Dr. Fritz Koerner.

There are also students and staff from across Canada, Japan, USA, New Zealand, Malaysia, Bhutan, UK, Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Argentina, and Germany. SOI hopes that these student expeditioners will return home as ambassadors and leaders for the planet’s environment, with new levels of inspiration and motivation for the future.

Key partners on the expedition include:
Canadian Circumpolar Institute
University of Alberta
University of Ottawa
University of Northern British Columbia
ArcticNet
Canada's IPY Federal Program
International Polar Year
Geological Survey of Canada
Brita Canada
Impossible to Possible
The Canadian Museum of Nature
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
First Air
Makivik Corporation

To follow the upcoming journey visit: www.uantarctic.org or www.studentsonice.com. There will be regular video updates on Discovery's Daily Planet show with Jay Ingram, on Canada AM, The National, and other media around the world.

Also, February 21 will be "Students on Ice Day" on the www.ipy.org website with some special updates from Antarctica!