In this episode of The Greatest Classroom on Earth, host Geoff Green sits down with Kathy Snowball Aputiarjuk, an Inuk singer-songwriter, educator, and communications director from Kangiqsualujjuaq (George River), Nunavik. Kathy’s journey—from a young girl learning guitar at home, to a student on the 2019 Students on Ice Arctic Expedition, to returning as an educator and rising musical talent—is a powerful story of culture, resilience, and community leadership.

Kathy opens up about her childhood in a close-knit Arctic community, also the birthplace of Canadian Governor General Mary Simon, the spark that ignited her love for music, and how throat singing, language, and land shape her creative voice. She shares memories from her first expedition to Greenland as a student, and the full-circle moment of returning as an educator on this year’s SOI expedition.

We also dive into her growing music career—festivals, collaborations, and her debut EP—as well as her important work with Anguvigaq, protecting Inuit harvesting rights and supporting beluga research rooted in Inuit Knowledge.

Kathy’s reflections on hope, change, youth leadership, and the power of community are moving and unforgettable. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear her original song, Nakursaniq Pijunnaniq, a soulful track about gratitude, resilience, and finding your way through the metaphorical forest.

“The only thing we can really do is try. We don’t know if and how all of our actions will amount to some sort of global solution, but we certainly need to try.”

– Alisha Fredriksson, Seabound

What happens when a teenager ventures to the remotest continent on the planet and into one of Earth’s most fragile ecosystems? For Alisha Fredriksson, a life-changing expedition to Antarctica with Students on Ice didn’t just open her eyes to the beauty and vulnerability of our planet — it set her on a path to reimagine the future of one of the world’s most polluting industries.

In this episode, host and Students on Ice Founder Geoff Green sits down with Alisha, now the co-founder and CEO of Seabound, a London-based climate tech company developing cutting-edge onboard carbon capture systems for ships.

Alisha reflects on how the untouched landscapes of Antarctica and the mentorship she received on the expedition shattered her teenage “bubble” and sparked a sense of purpose. That experience fueled her drive to tackle global problems, eventually leading to the creation of Seaound, which is on a mission to decarbonize the shipping industry — responsible for nearly 3% of global CO₂ emissions, equivalent to the entire country of Germany.

Together, Geoff and Alisha trace the journey from seasick first days in the Drake Passage, to the awe of standing in an untouched frozen wilderness, to the welding floors of Seabound’s London workshop, where a new generation of carbon capture solutions is being built. This episode is a testament to how experiential education and early moments of inspiration can ripple outward to create lasting, global impact.

Alisha Fredriksson is the co-founder and CEO of Seabound, a climate tech startup committed to reducing global shipping emissions through onboard carbon capture technology. Her work focuses on developing modular systems that trap CO₂ directly from a ship’s exhaust, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

From Vancouver, Canada, before founding Seabound, Alisha launched a climate program at Generation, a nonprofit founded by McKinsey & Company. She has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree (2023) and an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 for her pioneering contributions to energy and sustainability.

In this episode, host Geoff Green, founder and expedition leader of Students on Ice, interviews Irene Shivaei, one of the world's leading astrophysicists. She took part in the SOI 2007 Antarctic Expedition as an eighteen-year-old student. Irene recounts her journey from growing up in Tehran with a passion for astronomy to becoming a leading researcher on the formation and evolution of distant galaxies. As they discuss the 2007 Antarctic expedition, Irene shares a pivotal moment: her first encounter with icebergs, which profoundly deepened her love for Earth. Irene describes the magical experience of seeing the icebergs up close and the inspiration she drew from that moment and how her joy also inspired musician Ian Tamblyn to write a song about it, Thrill To My Heart. Geoff and Irene also reflect on the spirit of exploration, the impact of the Students on Ice program, and the importance of youth connecting across borders. They discuss Irene's subsequent academic and professional achievements, including her work with the NASA James Webb Space Telescope and her current project, Distant Dust. Irene emphasizes the educational value of science, her hopes for future generations, and her enduring connection to her Iranian roots.

You can see the official SOI video of that 2007 Antarctic expedition, including Irene's first encounter with icebergs and Ian Tamblyn's song here.

And here are Ian's lyrics to Thrill To My Heart - Irene's Song.

Thrill to My Heart

Thrill to my heart when I hear your laughter

Thrill to my heart when I see you smile

And it moves man to see your rapture

And it moves me – right to my soul.

Thrill to my heart to see you dancing

Thrill to my heart to see you spinning around

You could call this a dance, call this a chapter

It moves me man –right to my soul.

Thrill to my heart – your eye wide open

Takin’ it in – breath deep and be bold

Cuz it moves me man to see your passion

Over the moon to my soul.

Ian Tamblyn - Sea Lynx Music SOCAN. -Jan. 2008.

Many thanks to Ian, a regular musician in residence on SOI expeditions, for sharing the song for this podcast.

Our theme song is Lancaster Sound by Juno award-winning musician and SOI Alum, Sarah Harmer.

Greatest Classroom on Earth is produced by David McGuffin of ExploreProductions.ca

00:00 Introduction to Irene Shiva and Her Love for Earth

00:46 Meet Irene Shiva: From Tehran to the Stars

01:43 The Birth of Students on Ice

03:59 Irene's Journey: From Tehran to Astronomy

07:23 The Antarctic Expedition Experience

10:38 Irene encounters Icebergs

20:57 Irene's Career in Astrophysics

33:08 Hope for the Future and Final Thoughts