North(East)ern Exposure: Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia and its surrounding islands are home to a resilient, hardworking population composed of small communities. We explore identity and community through different immersions and explorations with local people.

Learning Objectives

Students build a better understanding of how small communities become self-sustaining during times of retreat from the outside world.

Students explore the ecosystem of the region and analyze how local conservation efforts align with touristic endeavours.

Participants use the focal point of “Oak Island” to deepen engagement with history and methods used during a real-life treasure hunt.

Lenses of Inquiry

Sustainable Communities

Conservation and Commerce

Indigenous Ways of Being

Places and Activities

This program is flexible, and can be offered in 3, 5, or 7 day itineraries.

Day 1-2: People of the Sea

We take the first two days to get to know local people in Halifax, using our empathic interviewing structure to understand how the community functions. At the Maritime Museum, we understand the central role that water has played in the region’s development. Afterwards, we deepen our understanding by spending the morning on a lobster boat and an afternoon interviewing members of the lobstering community.

Day 3-4: Venturing Out

We leave the city to explore Prince Edward Island National Park, learning and applying the principles of the Leave No Trace philosophy and carrying out a beach hike and clean-up. We get a kayaking lesson from a local biologist and carry out a lake survey, getting up to speed on ecology in the region.

Day 5-6: Hidden Narratives

Our visit to the Membertou Heritage Park gives us a deeper understanding of the rich indigenous history of the region. We participate in a Celtic, Acadian, and Mi’kmaq heritage workshop and a hand drum making workshop! Lastly, we visit Oak Islan, touring to learn about the different theories and attempts made to excavate buried treasures there for more than 200 years!

Let’s work together

“I was incredibly impressed by the care taken by Envoys. Before we even hit the ground, there was an emphasis on comprehending impact on our destination’s environment that I appreciated..Throughout the trip, our Envoys leaders made sure that we continued to be conscious of impact. That awareness of cause and effect is something that often gets lost when traveling, and Envoys did not allow it to. During this trip, there was never a moment I did not feel safe and cared for nor a moment where I did not feel I was learning something!”

— Keylee S. , Student, Dalton South Africa 2014

“We had an amazing program. It was a biology teacher’s dream and Felipe and his crew couldn’t have been more thorough and professional to work with. Thanks for all of your efforts to organize an unforgettable experience for us all.”

— Gerry , Traveling Faculty, LCC Colombia 2016

“The Envoys Staff were exceptionally committed to us and to the goals of our trip. They were thoughtful, kind, caring, friendly, with great sense of humor, yet serious in their connection to the ethos of professional development that was our trip’s purpose. I was struck over and over again by how they literally RAN to be in the right place to respond to any given situation.”

— Constance , Traveling Faculty, Friends Seminary Colombia 2016