Between December 16, 2022 and January 4, 2023, @nkmayber and I, along with thirteen students from Arizona State University, embarked on a transformative journey to the island of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Over nearly three intense weeks aboard the expedition ship Ocean Victory (along with over 170 other passengers and an amazing and experienced expedition crew) we experienced some of the most remote and remarkable ecosystems and environments on the planet.

These are our collected reflections on, accounts of, and responses to, the experience:

https://asuantarctica2022.org/

#Antarctica #University #ASUAntarctica2022

You can never have enough Penguins!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzV6IKh9nEA

#PenguinAwarenessDay #ASUAntarctica2022

What was it like traveling to #Antarctica with a bunch of ASU students? Pretty awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z__QJsYBoI

#ASUAntarctica2022

Why give students the chance to experience the remoteness and wonder of #Antarctica first hand? My colleague @nkmayber nails it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhr-gXv7C4

#ASUAntarctica2022

I will be forever grateful for the incredible, positive transformation that I experienced through this program!

This experience provided me with more balance, clarity, and growth in 24 days than I have managed to find in 33 years.

I will advocate for participation in this study abroad at every chance.

Thank you to ASU, the College of Global Futures, and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society for providing this opportunity!

...Now to get back there...

#ASUAntarctica2022

Unbelievable as it seems we're back in the US after nearly three and a half weeks of traveling to the #Antarctic and surrounding areas on a unique Global Intensive Experience with Arizona State University!

Plenty of reflections on the expedition coming, but for now enjoy some of the photos of the stunning places and wildlife we've been experiencing:

https://andrewmaynard.smugmug.com/ASUAntarctica2022

#ASUAntarctica2022

Back in Ushuaia after an incredible expedition to the Malvinas/Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island, the South Shetlands and, of course, the Antarctic Peninsula. Bittersweet ending to a fabulous journey #ASUAntarctica2022

Well, we made it back to Ushuaia from Antarctica on #ASUAntarctica2022 -- complete with a lot of memories!

Appreciate ASU team again for sharing such informative reports of your experiences and thoughts with all of us on this planet - it has NOT been a safe trip and your safety must have been secured only by the professionalism of all members rapidly gained through this journey - that made me imagine how your forefathers had done in the age of American Frontier...
Brave and wise people. I will miss you all and this journey. Appreciate! ARIGATO :)
#ASUAntarctica2022

... and a bonus reminder that there are many more photos from our Antarctic voyage here:

https://andrewmaynard.smugmug.com/Photos/ASU-Antarctica-2022/

#ASUAntarctica2022

What an amazing journey of discovery! And as a final note in this thread, I have to acknowledge my co-lead @Nicole for playing such an incredible leadership role in the voyage’s, and ASU for making all of this possible for for our students — truly visionary! #ASUAntarctica2022 End of thread! (10/10)

I’m pretty sure that over the coming weeks, months, and years, we’ll see the impacts of this Antarctica overview effect on our students.

The bottom line though is that, through ASU providing this incredible opportunity, we have the ability to plant the seeds of transformational change in each and every student who experiences it. And for me, this is ultimately what gives the program its value and that elevated its importance. #ASUAntarctica2022 (9/10)

I’ve talked elsewhere about Antarctica having its own “overview effect.” This is typically associated with space travel and the profound and perspective-changing impact of seeing the Earth from a new perspective. But I’m more convinced than ever that an expedition to Antarctica like this has a similar impact in how participants see the world and their place in it. #ASUAntarctica2022 (8/10)

This is a journey that we spent four months preparing for through lectures and discussions, and then on board have been writing about, discussing, and reflecting on our experiences every day. It’s been an intense process, and an immersive learning experience unlike anything else.

I also need to give a shout out to AUIP (American Universities International Programs Limited) for leading the whole program! #ASUAntarctica2022 (7/10)

Then there are our students — I have been so deeply impressed by them as we’ve shared everything over the past three weeks — they have been amazing and inspirational. And they’ve all been impacted in some way by the voyage. #ASUAntarctica2022 (6/10)

Under the guidance of the expedition crew we’ve had experiences we’ll never forget — seeing first hand some of the largest penguin colonies in the world; close encounters with fur seals; watching a leopard seal hunt penguins (after eyeing us up first!); chasing whale blows in a Zodiac; experiencing first hand some of the most unique and inaccessible environments in the world, and much, much more. #ASUAntarctica2022 (5/10)

I should also note that our expedition crew have been incredible. They are all amazingly experienced and talented individuals who blew us all away with their excitement, insights, and commitment to extracting as much from this experience as possible for us. I’m incredibly humbled to have been able to hang out with this band of funny, experienced, kind, and generous explorers. They have been inspirational. #ASUAntarctica2022 (4/10)

I hadn’t fully appreciated this distinction between cruise and expedition before we left, but the result is an incredibly rich and unique experience, and one that is quite profound and transformative #ASUAntarctica2022 (3/10)

First off, this has been an expedition, and most definitely not a cruise. Under the guidance of our expedition team, each day has depended on weather conditions, wildlife, and opportunities as they present themselves. As a result, each day has been a unique and often unexpected experience as we’ve taken Zodiac rides around incredible places and landed in amazing environments. #ASUAntarctica2022

Thread: Well, we’re almost back from our incredible #ASUAntarctica2022 voyage — we’re currently traversing the Drake Passage on rolling seas and force 8 winds, and it’s rather awe inspiring.

This has ben a trip that defied my expectations and totally changed my perspective in so many ways. We’ll be reflecting on this a lot as a cohort when we get back, but for now, sailing across these wild and wonderful seas, some quick reflections (1/10)