2027 SOI Foundation Expedition Application

This form is available in Inuktitut (South Baffin) and French (Québec). You can toggle the form's language in the top right corner.

You can save your progress and return to it later by clicking the “Save” button on the bottom right corner of every page.

If you have any application questions or if an Error message appears when you submit, please email apply@soifoundation.org.

Welcome to the Application Form for Students on Ice's 2027 Expedition Season!

Our application process enables interested youth to submit ONE application to be considered for ALL of the expeditions that they may be eligible for. Selected applicants will be placed on an exciting expedition that aligns with their interests and eligibility.

*Note: Not all who apply will be selected for an expedition as it remains a competitive process to join. Additionally, there is a limited number of international scholarships available and priority will be given to youth from Inuit Nunaat (Alaska, Greenland and Chukotka), and Northern Europe.

Please take your time when completing the application and answer all the questions thoroughly. You can save and come back to the form at any time. We recommend writing your essay question responses in a separate document, and copying and pasting into the application form when ready.

The general application period is open until December 10, 2026, at 11:59pm EST.

We accept applications from anyone aged 14-35. You may apply if you are currently 13 but turning 14 before June 2027. However, our scholarships often have specific criteria. You will be entered into consideration for any scholarship you are eligible for based on the responses in your application.

In general, SOI seeks applicants who have demonstrated a desire to learn, are willing to participate in every aspect of the expeditions, and those who allow their personality to shine through their essay responses. We often seek applicants who have not had many funded opportunities before.

*Please note that we do not accept AI-generated answers. If we detect that your responses have been generated by artificial intelligence, it will negatively impact our assessment of your application.

We will only notify applicants of their status after the application deadline has passed, once all applications have been fully reviewed. All applicants will hear from us. In order to give each application the time and energy it deserves, the review process takes considerable time to complete. We appreciate your patience.

You will be asked to provide a mentor and 2 references in this application.

A mentor is a trusted person that can help you with your application, and who we will reach out to if we cannot reach you. They can be a family member or a friend.

A reference is a person such as a teacher, employer, coach, etc., who can give a character reference about qualities such as strengths and weaknesses and what you would gain from an expedition. They should know you in a more professional manner. They cannot be a family member and your mentor should not also be a reference.

Many applicants do not receive high points on their applications because their references do not complete the referral forms. Incomplete referral forms significantly impact our assessment of an application. It is your responsibility to ensure your references receive and complete the referral forms. Referral forms often get sent to spam folders.

Most expedition participants receive full scholarships to participate. However, you have the option to fund the journey yourself. 

If you would like to first be considered for a scholarship, then be considered to self-fund the fee if you are unsuccessful in receiving a scholarship, please select "I am applying for a scholarship" below. Then, email apply@soifoundation.org so we can note your preferences.

If you do not live in Canada or have Canadian citizenship, you may require a visa to enter and exit the countries we will visit on expedition. Any fees associated with obtaining visas are not covered by scholarships, and are your responsibility to apply for. See information about Canadian visas here and Greenlandic visas here.

SOI is unable to assist in visa applications outside of providing letters of support and booking flights.

Your mentor should be someone you trust and feel comfortable asking for support and guidance. They should ideally be someone who you have regular contact with. You should discuss the expedition and its requirements with them before listing them as a mentor. 

Students on Ice requires all youth applicants to have a mentor in their community to assist with the application process and to help in preparation for the expedition, if accepted. If at any time we are unable to reach a youth applicant, we will reach out to the mentor for assistance.

We require that a mentor provide a phone number and have regular email access. The mentor should also speak English. Please provide the name and email for your mentor below. Your mentor can be a family member.

Participants must be capable of moderate physical activity, such as hiking over uneven terrain or sand. During days at sea, the possibility of rough sea conditions may lead to participants experiencing seasickness. Although we are traveling during the summer, conditions may be cold or wet and all participants will be expected to participate in all daily excursions despite weather conditions. Some excursions, such as Zodiac boat cruises and shore landings, generally range from two to three hours in length.

I attest that I am in good health and capable of performing normal activities on this program. I further attest that I am capable of caring for myself during the program, and that I will not impede the progress of the program or the enjoyment of others. I understand that this program may take me far from the nearest medical facility and that all participants must be self-sufficient. With that understanding, I certify that I have not been recently treated for, nor am I aware of any physical condition or disability that would create a hazard to myself or other members of the program.

SOI Foundation is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all youth participants, SOI staff, ship crew, and the communities we visit on expedition. As a result, accepted youth participants may be contacted to provide certain immunization records based on regional or national guidelines or outbreaks. Inability to provide proof of vaccination may impact an accepted youth's participation in the expedition. For your reference, in the past, we have required proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and measles (MMR).

Accessibility option: You have the option to record your responses to the essay questions below instead of typing them.

Two referral forms are required as part of the application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure SOI receives both completed referral forms.

Examples of references include: a teacher/instructor, supervisor, principal, school counsellor, employer, volunteer manager, or a member of your community. Your references cannot be relatives or friends of the family.

Your referees will be asked to comment on some of the following: your interest in learning, character, attitudes, social adaptability, leadership qualities and/or potential, and community engagement. Please choose references who will be able to comment on these skills.

Your referees will be automatically sent a link to an online referral form upon your submission of this application. Please ensure that your referees know to expect this form as it may be sent to their junk folder. The final deadline to complete the reference form is December 15, 2026 at the latest and we will not accept references past this date.

If we have not received your reference forms by this date, your application will be considered incomplete. If your references do not receive their form within three hours of you submitting your application, please ask them to contact apply@soifoundation.org. Your application is not considered complete until both forms have been received.

 

Please ensure your reference's names are spelled correctly. If they enter a different name than the one you entered, the referral form will not connect to your application in our system.

Please take the time to review your form in detail, especially the email addresses and phone numbers you have inputted. It is important that these are correct. Once you are ready, you can submit your form.