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Perspectives of Health and Human Culture in Iceland and Greenland

beautiful scenery of snowy mountains with small buildings spread throughout

By Rachel Berry

The Perspectives of Health and Human Culture in Iceland and Greenland program gives students the opportunity to learn while experiencing the unimaginable.

While the program may vary from year to year, in the past students have ridden in a dogsled, explored volcano caves, attended a community dance, and much more. The group stays in a cabin and has the opportunity to see the northern lights every night.

The goal of the program is to study and reflect upon cultural differences between America, Iceland, and Greenland. The program is listed as a Kinesiology course but accepts all majors.

Before the program begins, the group meets regularly as a class to discuss the culture of Iceland and Greenland. Students research an aspect of the countries that interests them and each give a presentation in front of the class. Common research topics include education, religion, health care, volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal energy, epidemiology, and gender equality, as Iceland was the first country to have a female elected head of state and leads the world in pay equality.

The program takes students first to Iceland, which is more civilized and similar to what students might be used to. Next, students travel to Greenland and stay in a small village of only a few hundred people.

While they’re abroad, students are able to experience the topics they researched firsthand. Students journal each day, and the whole class meets to discuss what they’ve been observing.

“It’s just putting yourself in someone else’s perspective, understanding that there’s so much more out there to life than what we think in America,” said Abigail Gabler, a former student on the program.

For many students, the appeal of the program is having such unique experiences that they couldn’t have anywhere else.

“I’ve been lucky myself to travel a lot … but this is one trip that you can’t even compare to the others,” said Lauren Mattern, a former student on the program. “You’re living in a life that would be otherwise so far removed from the one you’re living right now, and there’s something really beautiful and peaceful about that.”

Are you interested in the Perspectives of Health and Human Culture in Iceland and Greenland program? 

Learn more

Amalea George stands in front of snowy mountainsAmalea George

Year

Junior

Majors

Kinesiology and Pre-Med

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to do something that I’ve never done before because I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to the Bahamas, so I wanted to do something that I probably wouldn’t have done either by myself or get an opportunity to do by myself because there just aren’t always programs that just random people can go do, especially in Greenland since it’s so remote.

 

It’s kind of stepping back and being like ‘what is something that I might never get a chance to do again, but I can do right now.’

A close-up image of Lauren Mattern wearing a heavy coatLauren Mattern

Year

Senior

Major

Economics

Minor

General Business

Why did you choose this program?

This was something that I immediately gravitated towards, being someone who’s very adventurous and outdoorsy.

 

We all are involved with such different activities, have such different majors, lived across all different parts of campus that we probably would have never all run into each other or would have never thought that we would have gotten so close and been friends without this trip.

Abigail Gabler holds a Miami flag while standing on a rocky surfaceAbigail Gabler

Year

Junior

Majors

Kinesiology and Pre-Med

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to go somewhere different that not a lot of people would get the chance to go to, so that’s kind of why I chose Iceland and Greenland.

 

I learned to appreciate life more just because in Greenland they don’t have a lot of what we have in America.

 

Amalea

Amalea George stands in front of snowy mountainsAmalea George

Year

Junior

Majors

Kinesiology and Pre-Med

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to do something that I’ve never done before because I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to the Bahamas, so I wanted to do something that I probably wouldn’t have done either by myself or get an opportunity to do by myself because there just aren’t always programs that just random people can go do, especially in Greenland since it’s so remote.

 

It’s kind of stepping back and being like ‘what is something that I might never get a chance to do again, but I can do right now.’

Lauren

A close-up image of Lauren Mattern wearing a heavy coatLauren Mattern

Year

Senior

Major

Economics

Minor

General Business

Why did you choose this program?

This was something that I immediately gravitated towards, being someone who’s very adventurous and outdoorsy.

 

We all are involved with such different activities, have such different majors, lived across all different parts of campus that we probably would have never all run into each other or would have never thought that we would have gotten so close and been friends without this trip.

Abigail

Abigail Gabler holds a Miami flag while standing on a rocky surfaceAbigail Gabler

Year

Junior

Majors

Kinesiology and Pre-Med

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to go somewhere different that not a lot of people would get the chance to go to, so that’s kind of why I chose Iceland and Greenland.

 

I learned to appreciate life more just because in Greenland they don’t have a lot of what we have in America.