Why

• Join a community of young scholars who are passionate about the environment while experiencing a part of the country or world that will be new to many students.
• Develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to impact environmental issues facing your local community and the planet as a whole.
• Explore spectacular landscapes by studying, listening and observing.
• Concentrate on learning without the pressure of formal grades.
• All students who successfully complete their course will receive a Certificate of Completion. Students who complete a BELL course will receive a Course Performance Report.

You are expected to reduce your cell phone use while at BELL, allowing you to fully engage with the community and beautiful surroundings. By breaking ties to these technologies, you will be able to be more mindful of the natural environment and build more intentional friendships. While this may be an unfamiliar experience for some, it is often an aspect of the trip students appreciate most. You should plan ahead to be without your cell phone during most of the program, including the use of your phone’s camera. The group will always be reachable via the program cell phone, which will be held by the on-site staff. The phone number to the program cell phone will be provided to families of enrolled students prior to the program.

Some site visits listed are weather-dependent and subject to change. You can expect a moderate level of physical activity every day; be ready to get dirty as you’ll be out and about—rain or shine. A specific packing list will be provided for enrolled students.

Residential and Student Life

• BELL has a strong emphasis on communal living, thus you will be engaged as a member of the community both in and out of the classroom. This includes attending an orientation and group initiatives to get to know your peers, contributing to daily community tasks (e.g., classroom set-up, breakfast buffet set-up, meal clean-up), and spending the whole day with the group. You are not able to travel around Anchorage or Homer without the group under any circumstances. 
• Most nights, you will be sleeping on single beds in residence hall rooms. You will share a room with one to four peers, grouped by gender identity.
• For the three evenings at the Peterson Bay Field Station, you will sleep in a bunk bed in a heated yurt. The yurts do not have bathrooms, however, there is a permanent lodge visible from the yurts with composting toilets, meeting spaces and a fully functioning kitchen. During this portion of the trip, you will not have access to showers.
• Most meals will be prepared and eaten in a college dining hall. Some meals will be catered and some will be prepared collaboratively by students and staff. Note: All food is ordered in advance, so program staff must be notified of any dietary restrictions or allergies by March 29, 2024. Students can notify program staff by filling out the required forms, which enrolled students receive in their student portals.
• Program staff live on site and are available 24 hours a day to provide support and supervision.

Being a part of BELL Alaska will provide you with an experience similar to that of a research laboratory and all that entails. Though the term “lab” typically brings up imagery of standing over a microscope or collecting samples in small glass vials, there is much more that goes into being a member of a lab. Some days are more active than others and some days are more focused on concept development and exploration. Each day is different but typically includes field observations, classroom discussions, leadership workshops and time for team-building and reflection.