Students Gain Hands-On Earth Science Experience on Iceland STEM Trip
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
July 7, 2025
This June, Ellen Schafer '10 of the science department and Tyler Schoenbauer of the technology department took 11 students on a STEM trip to Iceland. Students traveled between volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and geysers to learn about earth and environmental science in one of the world’s most unique geographical regions.
“I hope our students' biggest take away from the trip is the beauty of earth and how it is constantly changing and reforming itself,” Schafer said. “Iceland is a perfect example of Earth's best features.”
Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge—where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet—resulting in the frequent volcanic and geothermal activity that gives the country its distinctive features. For Schafer, this makes Iceland the “earth science capital of the world” and the perfect place for students to get hands-on experience witnessing and learning about these phenomena directly.
Students got to learn about different lava rocks and how they form while navigating a lava river cave, how tectonic plates move while walking between the North American and Eurasian plates at Thingvellir National Park, about sources of geothermal energy while swimming in Iceland’s largest natural hot spring—the Blue Lagoon—and how that energy is used while trying bread baked in a geothermal oven.
“I was really able to learn a lot more about geology, especially when it came to the lava rock formations,” said Willa Pyle ’26, one of the students who went on the trip. “I also learned how the bacteria in the lava tunnels is the closest reference we have for what aliens could be like, so NASA has gone to Iceland to study it occasionally.”
Jaziel Enriquez Olvera ’26, one of the students who went on the trip, had only traveled within North America and wanted the chance to experience something completely new. He appreciated how the trip allowed students time to explore on their own to take it all in.
“It felt like we truly got to experience Iceland in our own way,” he said. “I loved the unique places we got to see, like the glaciers, hot springs, and black sand beaches. Those are things you don’t get to see every day.”
Students visited Kerid Crater, a volcanic lake, Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls, Reynisfjara Beach, home to the Iceland’s most famous bird, the puffin, Strokkur Geyser, known for its frequent eruptions, and the Reykjanes Peninsula, marked by its volcanic landscape and numerous hot springs.
For Schafer, a stand-out experience was two hours spent hiking the Sólheimajökull Glacier.
“It will probably fully melt in my lifetime so getting to hike it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.
That’s how the trip felt as a whole for many of the students— the chance to travel somewhere they might never have otherwise visited. By participating in the trip, they will also have the opportunity to further their learning with an online college-level environmental science course.
“Trips like this help students grow. You get to learn in a way that’s real and hands-on while building relationships with other students and teachers,” Enriquez Olvera said. “I feel like I grew more confident and independent from this experience, and it gave me new motivation to keep learning and seeing the world.”