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

“[Envoys] knows kids extremely well…they know how to be cool with them while still commanding authority and establishing ground rules…I was incredibly impressed with the protocols established and put in place by Envoys.”

— Micah M. , Traveling Faculty, Friends Seminary Peru 2015

“It was not only the good times with our friends or the relationships we built but how we were after we came back, returning to this agitated society with a new view of ourselves and not just our impact on the world, but the world’s impact on us.”

— Gabriela , Student, Deerfield Colombia 2014

“As a parent I felt the experience was well orchestrated and managed by Envoys. As a participant my daughter loved the whole experience; it is something she will treasure for the rest of her life”

— Linda T. , Parent, Hingham Japan 2015