Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

This program opened my eyes to the world of renewable energy and inspired me to continue on to a career in the industry. TGP does an excellent job of providing students with both a fascinating academic experience and an unforgettable cultural experience. Not only do you learn from world-class professors at Reykjavik University, but you also get to camp in the highlands, swim in hot springs, and eat local Icelandic cuisine. I would recommend this program to anyone with any background who is looking to gain knowledge and experience in sustainable development.

This experience was so amazing and seriously a once and a lifetime opportunity. We got to go places and see things you could most definitely not do while traveling alone. You travel with a local Icelandic who brought us to some cool local places and taught us some of the vocabulary. All of the guesthouses we stayed at were hosted by lovely people and the food was delicious. You get to learn so much on this trip and go tour some of the green energy infrastructure that Iceland offers. I made so many friends on this trip and some unforgettable experiences.

The Green Program was truly an amazing experience. I have not only gained a better understanding of renewable energy and the topic of sustainability, but have met the most amazing people and learned about myself. From lectures at Reykjavik University to snowball fights on top of a mountain, you learn about nature and the world first hand in a country that is truly beautiful. Iceland has so much to offer and learning about their renewable energy gave me a deeper understanding that cannot be learned in just a classroom. The people on this trip have similar goals when it comes to sustainability, but you learn that everyone has a different background and you learn from them too. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I would not trade it for the world.

The experience I had in Iceland with The Green Program was absolutely amazing! This was my first time traveling out of the country by myself and I am so grateful for everything the program and the people gave me. Learning about renewable energy and actually getting a tour of the geothermal and hydropower plants was extremely interesting. I loved being able to reconnect with nature through the amazing hikes, glacier walks, camping, and swimming in geothermal hot springs. Iceland has given me a new passion and appreciation for the environment and how I want to make a difference in the future!

Frankly, I don’t even know where to begin, but I owe it to the people considering this program to objectively evaluate my Green Program experience in Iceland. First, I will say that Iceland is gorgeous and I saw some unforgettable things. The caveat to that statement is I could have seen those things by just taking a vacation there. The housing, food, and lack of transparency must be lamented in detail.
We stayed at three places during the program: a guesthouse, campsite (tents), and Midgard, which is essentially a hotel. I appreciated the hospitality offered by the operators of the guesthouse, but I shared a room and bathroom with four guys that were quite small. Now, to the campsite, where unfortunately something occurred that was absolutely disgraceful. Upon our arrival at the campsite, we were greeted by heavy rain (this is nobody’s fault, just setting the stage). Compounding our discomfort, we soon discovered that the sixteen people in our group would be staying in two (yes, two) tents. These tents are not designed to hold that many people. This is not the extent of the problem, though. Besides this cramped environment, rain began to fall into our tent from the top. Our guides attempted to remedy this, but ultimately could not. So, what did they do next? Well, they retreated to a warm, dry trailer. That is downright wrong any way you look at it. Refusing to accept this, my friends and I rented a nearby cabin. We had to spend additional money to stay warm because a faulty, overcrowded tent simply was not good enough, and the guides knew it. To my astonishment, one of the guides characterized the group’s stay at the campsite as “glamping,” one of the most tone-deaf and asinine things I have ever heard in my life. Under no circumstances should it have been acceptable for them to provide that level of accommodations for us given the amount of money we paid. It was negligent at best and immoral at worst. Staying at Midgard was pleasant, but this represented only a fraction of the trip and did not make up for the prior issues.
Another major source of frustration was the quality of food provided to us throughout the trip. While we did eat the occasional Icelandic dish, the majority of our meals were inundated with subpar offerings. In lieu of traditional foods, gourmet meals such as sandwiches, hot dogs, granola bars, and yogurt ruled the day. Perhaps most importantly, though, it is my duty to warn you prospective Greenies to finish everything on your plate, or you will be ridiculed. Yes, this actually happened. I did not eat all of my salad one evening, and this was brought to the group’s attention. A table of fellow students proceeded to lecture me about the grave crime of not eating everything after I admitted I was the one who committed this heinous act. Now, if this sounds utterly unreasonable, that’s because it is.
Lastly, a lack of transparency and preparedness permeated this experience. A trip itinerary was not provided to us in advance. Instead, our guides would inform us of the next day’s activities during dinner each night. This is something that The Green Program claimed was for our own benefit. For one, this is borderline condescending as we are all adults. More than anything, though, this assertion reeked of a lack of preparation.
Spare your $4500. Go on vacation to Iceland, but avoid The Green Program.

If you have the opportunity to explore a new country and new technology with The Green Program, do it! This program was so educational teaching me not only about the Icelandic culture but also the amazing geothermal and hydropower technology their geography allows them to run. The friends I made on this trip are some of the best people I've ever met, and we still talk about our experiences from the trip every day. We all shed some tears when we had to leave, but we knew we would always have the Green family with us and those amazing memories we made too.

I had a great time on the Iceland TGP program! I explored some areas in Iceland and met some great people. The trip was a good way to close out my academic career as a graduate student. My favorite part was learning about Iceland's sustainability initiatives and exploring the country, as well as meeting a whole bunch of cool new people. I enjoyed the learning aspect but felt there could have been more, as well as more hiking and exploration. I still had a good time and recommend as a spring break for other college students.

Being my first time out of the United States, I didn't have a lot to base my Iceland experience off of but I can easily say this was the best week+ of my life. The sights alone were enough to make this a great trip, but on top of that I was with a great group of people that wanted to explore as much as possible. This trip definitely forced me out of my comfort zone (in a good way!) and made me realize how much I love adventure. The food was definitely a plus and it was great to come back from a long hike to a homecooked meal.