Petting reindeer, taking an evening cruise on the coast, visiting traditional villages, and seeing the northern lights are just a few things that students attending the Norway Intensive Learning (IL) trip will experience. The trip will visit the municipality of Tromsø, which is in the northern part of Norway, above the Arctic Circle.

The trip was planned and led by US Math Teacher Laird Ottman and US Science Teacher and Department Chair Jennifer Mosher. The goal of the trip is to learn about both the Indigenous Sami herding culture and modern Norwegian culture while experiencing the natural wonders of Norway.

This will be the first time Norway is offered as an IL trip, leaving many students excited about the new and unique experience. 

The group will be studying marine life along the coast of Norway, adding a natural studies component to the trip. 

“We’re doing [nature expeditions] twice, actually: once to learn about wildlife and life in the arctic on the shoreline, as well as on our last day, [we’re taking] an evening cruise,” said Ottman.

Mosher plans to both enjoy the activities planned and visit family in both Tromsø and Oslo, Norway’s capital. 

“My mother’s cousin ended up having a hasty wedding to her host brother, and she ended up having 5 children in Norway … and ironically, they [live] in Tromsø, which is where we’re going.”

Grayson Harty ’24, a student on the trip, said he is looking forward to learning about Sami culture, specifically the reindeer herds which Sami people use for food and clothing. 

“I definitely look forward to interacting with the reindeer at the Sami reindeer camp,” said Harty. 

Tromsø is also known for its amazing viewing of the northern lights, which, although not guaranteed to appear due to the season coming to a close, has students such as Katherine Nguyen ’24 eager for the possibility. 

Amari Coleman ’24, who is also interested in Sami culture, noted his desire to “interact with the locals and learn their language.”