The Young Explorers Program puts people aged 21 to 30 aboard an Adventure Canada expedition ship to carry out a project of their own in the Arctic. Adventure Canada is an expedition travel company based in Mississauga, Ontario; it runs the program with The Explorers Club, a field-research society in New York. The two have offered it together since 2016.
Applicants propose specific, place-based work tied to the announced voyage. Science, social science and the arts all qualify, and the organisers state that both independent-interest projects and academic research proposals are accepted.
The 2026 place was on the voyage “Iceland to Greenland: In the Wake of the Vikings”, sailing 28 June to 10 July 2026. Selected explorers present their work to guests and the expedition team on board, then deliver a finished piece — a film, publication, book or study — which both organisations publish.
Benefits & funding
- An expedition berth on the selected voyage: shared accommodation in a Category 3 cabin.
- Charter flights connected with the expedition, where the itinerary uses them.
- Time on board alongside the expedition team, with a staff mentor who signs off the final project.
- Publication of the finished project by both Adventure Canada and The Explorers Club.
- Not covered: commercial flights, hotels before and after the trip, on-board expenses and gratuities.
- Not covered: emergency evacuation insurance, which is mandatory at no less than US$500,000 of coverage.
- No cash award or stipend is published for this program.
Eligibility
- Aged 21 to 30.
- A specific, place-based project proposal tied to the announced expedition, in science, social science or the arts.
- Priority goes to projects that align with the United Nations Goals for Sustainable Development.
- Both independent-interest projects and academic research proposals are accepted; no degree or enrolment requirement is published.
- No nationality or residency requirement is published.
- The Explorers Club grants page states that each of its grants requires two written recommendations; the Adventure Canada application page lists no referee requirement.
- Anyone planning field research is responsible for their own permits, licences and authorisations from the country, the region and Indigenous landholders.
- Emergency evacuation insurance of at least US$500,000 is mandatory.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Age requirement
21–30 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Open the current cycle’s details page on the Adventure Canada site — it names that year’s voyage, dates and terms.
- 2Build a place-based proposal: what you will do, where along the route, and what it produces.
- 3Fill out and submit the program’s application form before the deadline; the 2026 round closed on 15 March 2026.
- 4If selected, sign a release and hold-harmless naming both organisations, sign the Code of Conduct, and supply a biography and photo before departure.
- 5Sail the expedition, give a formal joint presentation with the other Young Explorers, and be available for interviews and press.
- 6Send a written summary and content pieces within one month of the voyage, then the final project on the timeline agreed with your staff mentor and the Young Explorers liaison.
Program timeline
Application deadline for the 2026 cycle
Mar 15, 2026
Expedition departs, Iceland
Jun 28, 2026
Expedition ends, Greenland
Jul 10, 2026
Within one month of the voyage
written summary and content pieces due
Next cycle
not yet announced; the 2026 round is closed