The knicks just won the NBA Basketball Championship for the first time in 53 years, the energy and vibes of the World Cup are permeating the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and we are all getting ready to embrace summer vacation, which is a perfect time for me to introduce the expedition I will be on this summer (2026) and what I hope we can all learn from it.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news in the last few years, you may have heard a little bit about the world’s largest island located in the Artic Circle; Greenland. A strategically located chunk of land in the North Atlantic, Greenland is approximately 836,000 square miles large, with around 80% of it covered by ice. It is considered an autonomous territory within the Danish Kingdom, though due to its proximity to North America, specifically Canada, it has remained vital to U.S., European, and Canadian security since World War II. During the war, the United States utilized it for aircraft bases and weather stations. Sounds silly, but knowing what the weather would be would provide the Allies with a big advantage for conducting battles and invasions during the war. Click here if you want to read more about Greenland, the United States, and World War II.

If you’d like a quick video recap of Greenland’s role as a Frontline during World War II, watch the video below.

In addition to its history, Greenland plays an important role today in how we are coming to understand climate change. As part of my expedition, I will be studying alongside glaciologists who are specialists in studying ice and glaciers. Much of this science will be new to me, but as a social studies teacher, I know its important for all of us to better understand the significance of the Greenland ice cap to become better civically engaged global citizens.

For an introduction to what an ice cap is, click here

For a brief introduction to how climate change can be studied by better understanding Greenland, check out this video below!

Let me know what you’d like to learn about Greenland and put your questions in the comments below!

Reminder: I set sail for Greenland on July 26 aboard the National Geographic Endurance ship.