The British Schools Exploring Society is an industry leader in the field of wilderness expeditions. The society has been offering remote, challenging expeditions to locations across the world since its inception in 1932. Originally specialising in polar exploration, the society now boasts a profile of expeditions covering polar, jungle, desert and mountain regions including expeditions in the Himalayas, the Amazon and the Arctic circle.
Programmes
The society runs a number of programmes including:
- Summer expeditions for young people aged 16 - 22, designed to fit within an academic holiday
- Gap Year expeditions for young people aged 18 - 25 offer a greater degree of challenge and tend to be slightly longer in duration, usually in spring or autumn.
- Outreach expeditions incorporate a significant period of training in the UK before the expedition and are designed to offer opportunities for youth development to some of the UKs most disadvantaged young people.
- Leadership development programmes are aimed at slightly older participants looking at starting a career and aim to use the expedition environment to develop leadership skills which can ultimately be put to use in a range of professional environments.
Recruitment
The society operates with the help of our many volunteer leaders and we are lucky to boast some of the industries most well respected experts and professionals amongst our alumni. Leader placements vary in terms of length, location and responsibilities. Whilst all positions are voluntary, places on expeditions are heavily subsidised and for some roles participation as a leader is free with all expenses paid for by the programme including flights, food and insurance.