National Geographic Student Expeditions - On Campus Bar Harbor Maine - High School Student Travel and Community Service Programs

The Program

From Bar Harbor to Acadia National Park, Maine's magnificent seascapes offer endless opportunities for exploration. Dramatic rocky promontories give way to quiet coves and fingerlike inlets, and hundreds of tiny islands dot the coastal waters. Harbor villages and lighthouses grace the shore, and lobstermen ply their trade according to long tradition. Settle into our campus on Mount Desert Island, and explore coastal Maine through an On Assignment project of your choice.

From our seaside base at College of the Atlantic, work in teams to craft your On Assignment project through dynamic workshops and excursions with National Geographic experts and trip leaders. You might write an article on a local personality, create a documentary film, or delve deeper into the marine ecology of one of the most pristine stretches of the Atlantic seaboard.

A typical day begins with a workshop or exercise focused on your On Assignment project—a talk with a local expert about changing whale populations, for instance, or a lesson in film editing. Then head out on field assignments or choose from an array of active excursions—hiking, kayaking, biking, or exploring nearby islands. We'll return to campus in the late afternoon so that you can take advantage of some free time to play a pick-up game of basketball or write in your journal. In the evening, attend an enrichment workshop on topics such as whale behavior or the region's maritime history, or organize an “open-mic” night with your friends. On the final day of the program, you'll share your On Assignment project with the group.

Outdoor Excursions

Bar Harbor's evocative setting—between the mountains of Acadia and the craggy Atlantic Coast—makes it a great base for our adventures. We'll explore Acadia National Park and its many trails, and hike to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Go sea kayaking along the rocky shores and take to the seas on a whale-watching cruise. Discover outlying islands on a boat trip and visit the picturesque maritime villages and lighthouses along the water's edge.

The Campus: College of the Atlantic

Set on Mount Desert Island overlooking the ocean, College of the Atlantic was founded in 1969 as an alternative to the traditional liberal arts college. The school has gained an international reputation for its focus on sustainability and its academic programs in environmental studies and marine science. Students live in single and double rooms within modern, eco-friendly suites. The campus has spacious meeting rooms with ocean views for On Assignment workshops and discussions, and a cafeteria that serves free-range meats, a variety of vegetarian options, and organically grown Maine produce.

Researcher and filmmaker BIRGIT BUHLEIER has lived and worked in some of the world's most remote places—from the Pacific islands to Antarctica. She has produced numerous documentaries for National Geographic, including Masters of the Arctic Ice and Tiger Shark, as well as the Crittercam television series. As a key member of the Crittercam team, Birgit has also deployed more than a hundred of the devices on animals such as great white sharks and hawksbill sea turtles.

Photojournalist AMY TOENSING has been on assignments around the world, producing stories that reflect the lives of ordinary people. A graduate of College of the Atlantic, Amy has photographed nine stories for National Geographic magazine, including a March 2003 article on the cultural heritage of Puerto Rico and a November 2007 piece on the kingdom of Tonga. Her story on Monhegan Island, a winter lobstering and artist community off the Maine coast, was featured in the July 2001 issue.

Birgit and Amy will each join the program for several days.

Choose one of the following On Assignment projects. Throughout the ten days, break into teams to focus on your selected area of interest through field activities, workshops, and discussions.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Refine your photography technique in a series of field workshops, photo shoots, and critiques with working photographers and a National Geographic expert. Create a portfolio of lighthouses on Maine's rocky coast or lobstermen at work. Photograph the diverse scenes around you — from harbor villages to the rocky outcrops of Acadia National Park. Assemble a photo-essay on a subject of your choosing, and share your images in a final slide show.

JOURNALISM: Sharpen your observation and reporting skills through dynamic field exercises and constructive workshops with our instructors and a visiting National Geographic expert. Interview a fisherman and develop a feature story about his life, or pen a story on recent conservation issues in Acadia National Park. Craft an essay about our whale watching excursion, or learn about Native American history at the Abbe Museum and retell a particular episode in your own words.

MARINE BIOLOGY & CONSERVATION: Experience the diverse ecology of the Maine coast with scientists and conservationists. Trace changing whale populations at the Bar Harbor Whale Museum, and cruise 20 miles offshore to observe whales on their feeding grounds. Examine tidepools that teem with life in Acadia National Park. Consult local conservation groups about ongoing efforts to protect Maine's coastal resources.

FILMMAKING: Join a team of aspiring filmmakers for this exciting On Assignment project. Begin with a series of field exercises designed to improve your skills in different aspects of filmmaking. Choose a topic; outline a storyboard; and set out to make a short film, such as a profile of a local shop owner or a visual history of Acadia National Park. Edit the film with your team alongside a highly qualified instructor and screen it on the final night for the whole community.

Your participation in a National Geographic Student Expedition provides support to National Geographic's mission of increasing global understanding through exploration, geography education, and research.