Intern with one of our research teams in Iceland this summer!

Global Treks and Adventures offers internship opportunities to help conduct field research in Iceland with one of our research teams. The research expeditions during the summer of 2023 in Iceland will focus on conducting cultural and environmental field research in order to develop both a trail guide and a cultural anthology. Researchers will travel to Iceland for 8 days of field research and then spend 2-3 months working remotely, before and after the field research, synthesizing the information to be included in the digital e-books. The ultimate goal is to provide travelers with insight into the culture and natural world they will be traveling through. This will include information on the island's geography, geology, wildlife, plants, marine life, natural resources, hiking trails, economy, historic and current culture as well as tourism and its impacts. 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE #1: INTERACTIVE DIGITAL FIELD GUIDE AND E-BOOK TO LOCAL TRAILS

Researchers will assist our team in exploring and documenting numerous hiking trails in Iceland in order to collect environmental, cultural, and trail information for the upcoming digital publication we are developing. We are looking for research assistants to help us collect information on: GIS mapping, common plants and wildlife encountered on the trails, habitats and ecosystems, geography, geology, tourism impacts, culture, myths and legends, cultural norms, travel and trail logistics, trail descriptions, photography, video production, travel blogging and other relevant information.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE #2: ANTHOLOGY OF Iceland E-BOOK

The researchers on the cultural teams will be assisting our team in developing an Anthology of Iceland digital publication which will include photographic essays and narratives on the culture and the environment. This will include topics such as tourism impacts, sustainability, geothermal energy, natural resources, geology, environmental topics, cultural norms, racism, gender roles, family dynamics, immigration, police culture, crime, photography, and other creative writing pieces. 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

We work with each intern/researcher to set up an individualized topic of research. Working weekly with your Research Director, interns spend 10 hours per week for the first couple of weeks working remotely from home or school researching their assigned topic. Interns then spend 1-week conducting action research in Iceland during the summer of 2023. It is during this time interns investigate their research topic and document the findings gathered through surveys, observations, interviews, literature reviews, and photographs to include in the publication. Each research team is made up of 8-10 researchers and 2 lead researchers/instructors. Interns spend approximately 10 hours per week for the 2 months following the field research working with their Research Director to develop their contribution to the book. Our office team and editors provide assistance and feedback on each intern’s contributions to the research and writing. 

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN FROM THIS INTERNSHIP

1. Earn outdoor leadership certifications in: Certificate in Sustainable Tourism and Risk Management Level 1.
2. You become a contributor in publication (print, ebook, website, or app).
3. Gain experience designing, researching, collecting, and synthesizing data.
4. Experience traveling abroad and immersing yourself in another culture. 
5. The opportunity to participate in and complete a collaborative project with fellow researchers.
6. Build an impressive resume with job experience that will set you apart from other candidates.

These internships are competitive and we encourage applicants to be themselves while also putting effort into their application. The online application is a series of short answer questions designed for Global Treks to get to know the candidate, their background, and their personality. Our teams are small, intimate, and efficient and we look for positive and dynamic people to help us make the best publication possible. Once your application is submitted, selected candidates will be contacted for a phone interview. Upon completion of the interview, our selection committee meets once a week to determine the best candidates for each team. If a candidate is offered an internship we provide access to the team’s private expedition page with all of the information needed for the travel and research. Our team will also develop a personalized research plan for each intern research assistant. We are also more than happy to help organize internship credit through the intern’s university.

THE ICELAND RESEARCH BASE

The Research Team will be based is a large countryside house in Selfoss, Iceland (45 minutes outside of the cpaital Reykjavik). The research base is located on 17 acres of land and has a hot tub and waterfall.There is a large kitchen, living room, several bedrooms, and bathrooms. Bedrooms will be a mix of 2 twin beds in a bedroom. Two vehicles driven by the head researchers will be utilized for group transport for hikes, meetings, and cultural gatherings.

Free time will be spent exploring everything within driving distance and spending evenings at the community geothermal pools. 

Transportation, housing and food will be provided once you arrive in Iceland.

During the summer month Iceland is known for it's 24 hours of daylight during June. We take advantage of this sunlight and our free time and explore as much of Iceland as possible!