Polar Journeys, Student Learning, Global Insights

Much like the pioneering French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Matthieu Kittling’s childhood was shaped by polar expeditions. While his peers immersed themselves in Harry Potter, he was captivated by tales of South Pole adventures, Shackleton's incredible survival aboard the "Endurance," and other daring journeys. "For me, it was always the thing that I loved," he recalls, though his dreams of adventure were faced with constant scepticism. "People were saying it's not a real job."

After three years in business consulting, Matthieu took a leap of faith. "I could have stayed there for many years. But it was not my goal in life." He embarked on scientific sailing missions, yet frozen polar landscapes continued to call. This enduring fascination, combined with mounting concern about climate change, led to a pivotal question: "How can we engage society, and more particularly young people, in the climate transition?"

L'École des Pôles emerged as the answer, an organisation that interweaves storytelling and experiential learning. Matthieu draws inspiration from Charcot, a polar scientist in the 1800s, whose childhood defiance shaped polar exploration. "When he was five, he made a boat from a wooden box," he shares excitedly. "He wrote 'Pourquoi pas' on its side - because whenever asked why he wanted to be a sailor, he'd simply say 'why not?'"

Though Charcot’s childhood boat sank in a nearby lake, Charcot's resolve never wavered. It's this same "Pourquoi pas" (why not) spirit that Matthieu seeks to instil in young people today - a readiness to face challenges head-on, from polar expeditions to global climate change.

The L'École des Pôles flagship programme, Ateliers Polaires (Polar Workshops), offers immersive experiences aboard three-masted ships or in specially designed settings. "We want to take young people out of school to go to really special places," he explains. "For us, the special places are tall ships that go on the coast of France."

A typical workshop begins with tales of Antarctic wintering expeditions, immediately transporting students into the polar world. Through an engaging mix of quizzes, scientific experiments, videos, and sound recordings, students discover the unique characteristics of polar regions – from the six-month cycles of day and night to the remarkable wildlife that thrives in extreme conditions.

The programmes, serving students aged 8-18, emphasise inclusivity, with 40% of participants coming from underserved communities or having special educational needs. One girl from a challenging social background became so excited about understanding the material that she spontaneously began teaching a struggling classmate, explaining the concepts in her own words and persisting until he understood as well.

"For me, it was a perfect moment," Matthieu recalls, "because she was happy to have understood something. And she wanted other people to understand it, too."

What truly galvanises students is their connection with ongoing expeditions – whether scientific missions, supply runs to remote stations or photography assignments. In 2023, their "Marins des glaces" programme connected 18,000 young people across 28 countries with polar journeys through weekly updates, live video calls with crew members and multimedia content sharing the scientific discoveries, geography, and daily life of today’s polar explorers.

Matthieu's own adventures fuel his teaching. During a recent trip to Greenland, he witnessed nature's raw power: "It was a place where we had a lot of icebergs, but also a lot of whales... I saw through my camera these three humpback whales going up with the ice just next to it. Until you have been there, you can't understand how huge it is. And it's crazy that we are now changing that."

These direct observations help address widespread misunderstandings about climate change. "The first answer I typically hear is that the sun is moving closer to the Earth. The second is that there's a hole in the ozone layer," Matthieu notes. Through their programs, students learn to question and verify: "Some young people now don't trust science anymore... So we show them that science is something they can verify with their own eyes."

Fundamental misunderstandings, coupled with growing scientific scepticism, drive L'École des Pôles' mission. Since 2021, they’ve delivered over 221,000 hours of awareness-raising activities, reaching more than 31,000 people. The Ateliers Polaires program alone has welcomed 10,500 students, with 40% from inclusion programs.

Yet these achievements don't come without challenges. "It's really expensive to have a tall ship and make it safe from city to city, to have employees with the knowledge," Matthieu admits, noting that keeping the programs free for schools requires constant fundraising. The team must also navigate changing student attention spans in an era of TikTok and social media, countering this by frequently switching between different teaching tools to maintain engagement.

Throughout it all, Matthieu maintains an optimistic vision: "What I tell young people is that ecology isn't a constraint – it will enhance your life."