The Polar Academy
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Mission Statement
*Inspiration Through Explortaion* At The Polar Academy, we offer life-changing polar expeditions that ignite courage, determination, and self-inspiration in young people. Over a year of unique training, we prove to them their incredible capabilities, empowering them to inspire others to pursue their own remarkable journeys.
About This Cause
Who We work With We work with “invisible kids”, impacted by bullying, bereavement and/or trauma and turn them into resilient role models, for life. Our programme takes young people through 1 year of intensive physical and mental training and culminates in a winter sledge haul. The extreme challenge of exploration allows young people to realise their full potential like no other opportunity can. By showing them what they are capable of, this experience permanently improves their self-belief. Irrespective of background or reasons, the number of young people we support who are feeling suicidal has escalated. We work with some of the most vulnerable teenagers in Scottish High Schools. Some of our participants/families have escaped abuse, some have experienced significant trauma. Sadly, quite a number have been self-harming. Many experience multiple deprivation. Some are victims of severe bullying. Most are isolated within their communities and have very few peers. Increasingly, many of our young people are non or infrequent attenders at school due to anxiety or poor mental health. Purpose The purpose of our organisation is to stop the downward spiral these young people are currently on. Every year we significantly change the direction of these young people’s lives as well as their families. What we do We offer our free project to 2 High Schools in the UK each year who have identified a need and have requested our help. We initiate a long-term intervention involving an intensive 12-month physical and mental health training programme. The end challenge to aim for is that the young people work hard and become fit, proficient, and learn multiple skills to sufficiently and safely participate in a ten-day winter skiing/sledge-hauling and scientific expedition. Although the final part of our programme is in the Arctic, over 90% of our intensive, long-term, pastoral, and educational work happens in Scotland. Being given the chance to participate in an Arctic expedition is such a special and exciting opportunity for the young people that they fully commit to the long-term training programme and have a purpose to aim for. Our Programme We meet and train the young people every week to prepare them physically and mentally to undertake the expedition. We take them to Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, the Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore, for outdoor skills and expedition training. This includes canoeing, kayaking, hillwalking, camping, rock climbing and learning how to work together as a team, plus obtaining a recognised navigation qualification. We run endurance sessions on the weekends in the magnificent surroundings of Strathyre and the Trossachs and on the West Sands beach at St Andrews. There are many well-known positive mental health benefits of participating, training, and encouraging young people who have been struggling to become active in the outdoors. For some of our teenagers, this is the first time they have exercised regularly, considered diet and nutrition, and the first time they have ever felt part of a team. The young people receive lectures from Doctors of Geography and Glaciology from Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrews Universities where they will be trained how to collect and record field data. The transferrable skills they will learn during this time will be invaluable. We aim to leave them with a respect and awareness of the fragility of our planet and hopefully inspire some future STEM Ambassadors and scientists too. Through the final challenge during the winter expedition the young people realise what they are truly capable of. Why are we different? Unlike some other mental health initiatives, this is a long-term intervention that works with young people and their families to ensure the positive impact is long-lasting. Our unique programme is led by knowledgeable individuals with expertise in child and adolescent mental health, the military, child protection, clinical exercise physiology, business leadership, health and safety, outdoor education, and medicine. More about our specialist team can be found at www.thepolaracademy.org/our-team/ Qualitative Impact Feedback about the programme’s impact on the 240 teenagers we have worked with to date includes: • The mental health benefits of regular and demanding physical exercise allowed our young people to quickly begin feeling emotionally and physically well and positively empowered. • The confidence and sense of community gained through our long-term intervention saves some lives and completely changes their life projections and prospects going forward. • Our young people were more engaged in class, had improved attendance, and increased their aspirations and aims - including many applying for either University or apprenticeships after completing our programme. • Parents and siblings showed significant improvements as family dynamics changed by participating in the shared experience. • Our young people developed leadership qualities and life skills which will continue to support them in further education or the workplace environment going forward. Industry connections and collaborations • Royal Scottish Geographical Society and Explorers Club Great Britain and Ireland. • Recognised for our work by the Scottish Government in the “Scotland’s Arctic Framework Policy”. • Partnership with the local Greenlandic Authority. • University lecturer in Extreme Sport Physiology for training and sports nutrition. • Working with Oxford, Cambridge, GEUS (Danish Government), Scott Polar Research Institute and St Andrews University on STEM/field work opportunities and scientific data recording.