Young Explorer
Helping children discover exploration early has been one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Together with Richard Garriott and other explorer families, I helped launch the Young Explorers Program at The Explorers Club as a way to bring families together and spark curiosity through direct engagement with explorers, science, and discovery.
What began in 2016 as a series of interactive sessions for children ages 7 to 12 grew into a wider platform for hands-on learning and real-world adventure. Over the years, that journey has included educational sessions, family expeditions, the youth scientific expedition to the North Pole, and later adventures such as Kilimanjaro.
At its core, Young Explorers is about giving children a sense that exploration is not something distant or abstract. It is something they can do themselves — by asking questions, going outside, learning from others, and engaging directly with the world.
Explorers Club - Young Explorer
Young Explorers began as an effort to bring children and families into exploration early. Launched in 2016 at The Explorers Club, the program was designed for children ages 5 to 12 and aimed to spark curiosity through interactive sessions with field explorers, scientists, and storytellers. Over time, it grew into a wider platform for hands-on learning, with dozens of sessions on topics ranging from space and sharks to dinosaurs, narwhals, caving, and the polar regions.
North Pole
The North Pole expedition became a major milestone for the program. It brought young explorers into a real expedition setting and combined Arctic travel with science, education, and environmental awareness. On YoungExplorer.org, it is described as the youngest scientific expedition to the North Pole, with microfiber sampling as part of the journey. That expedition helped show that youth exploration could be more than a classroom idea — it could be direct, challenging, and meaningful.
Kilimanjaro and Beyond
The idea continued to grow through later expeditions and field experiences. YoungExplorer.org describes how, in 2024, the group climbed Kilimanjaro with explorer families and friends, linking mountaineering with a broader African journey that also included Ethiopia, Kibera, and Amboseli. More broadly, the project has expanded into oceans, the Amazon, and other environments, always with the same goal: to connect curiosity with firsthand experience and help young people engage directly with the natural world and the communities they encounter.