Welcome to BSES

BSES Expeditions is a youth development charity that organises challenging scientific expeditions to remote, wild environments to develop the confidence, teamwork, leadership and spirit of adventure and exploration of its Young Explorers.

Based at the Royal Geographical Society, BSES Expeditions (The British Schools Exploring Society) was founded in 1932 by a member of Captain Scott’s final Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13.

Each year young people aged 16-23, from different schools, universities and many other walks of life, join together to take part in valuable adventure and environmental research projects in challenging areas of the world from the heights of the Himalayas to the heat of the Arabian desert, and from the valleys and glaciers of the Arctic to the lakes and rivers of the Amazon.

These projects are designed to teach the young people about the host environment, culture and wildlife whilst delivering worthwhile and necessary results for local and UK academic and charitable bodies. Led by experts drawn from a host of professions such as universities, teaching and the armed forces, all the expeditions aim to help in the development of young people through the challenge of living and working in remote and testing areas of the world.

BSES Expeditions is a small and personal organisation organising only a handful of expeditions each year. Opportunities exist on month-long summer expeditions for Young Explorers aged between 16 and 20. Those over 18 can gain leadership experience through our Arctic and Desert gap year expeditions.