Read the article about the Polar Academy, an organisation that takes teenagers on expeditions to
the Arctic.
Write a summary about what the Polar Academy wants the teenagers to gain from the
experience AND what teenagers need to do to be chosen for the expedition to the Arctic.
Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You
should use your own words as far as possible.
You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary, and up to 8 marks for the style and
accuracy of your language.
The Polar Academy - Arctic adventure for teens!
Many schools offer students the chance to participate in outdoor activities and trips abroad. But
the Polar Academy, an organisation in Scotland, goes even further. Each year, it trains a group of
leenagers and then sends them on an expedition in Greenland. For ten days, the teenagers must
find their way through the wild Arctic landscape and survive in one of the most extreme environments
in the world
The Polar Academy was the idea of the Scottish explorer Craig Mathieson Craig had already been
visiting schools to talk about his expeditions, but felt that wasn't enough. He wanted to do something
that would really give teenagers the motivation to succeed at anything they choose, so in 2012 he
started the Polar Academy, and has been sending teens on Arctic expeditions ever since.
The selection process starts with Craig and his team working with teachers to identify students who
might be suitable. Sometimes, he starts with hundreds of names, but he eventually gets this down
to twenty. Ten will join the expedition team and ten will join the leadership team, who are there to
replace any expedition team members that might drop out. Although the leadership team doesn't
actually go to Greenland, all students are taught the same things and benefit from the increased
self-confidence that is one of the Polar Academy's key objectives.
The twenty potential expedition members are then required to participate in a demanding weekend
of outdoor activities at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre, where Craig
will decide who joins which team. Amongst other things, the students have to carry out a series of
challenges underwater, even though some can't even swim. Craig never asks them to do these,
because then they'd have a choice. Instead, he simply tells the students what he wants them
to do and of course, it's the ones who show they can control their fear that Craig will select.
Despite being tired from the underwater tasks, there's no rest for the students yet. They are all
expected to complete a tough hike in the hills with Craig and his team. On arrival back at Glenmore,
each student then has to give a 15-minute presentation in front of all the staff. Many find this difficult,
especially as they are already exhausted. However, this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the
selection team.
Once the selection process is over, the hard work really begins. There are ten months of intense
training to take them from having almost no fitness to having the physical fitness of a top athlete.
This is so that when they start to pull their equipment for the first time in Greenland, they realise how
light it feels and they can just concentrate on the expedition. The months of training together also
give them the ability to work as an effective team-essential for a successful expedition.
The Polar Academy is really starting to catch people's attention. It has even been the subject of a TV
documentary, for anyone who is interested in finding out more