THE GREAT ANTARCTICA GGRIT CHALLENGE™
Sponsored by the GGRIT® Foundation. One goal. Ten weeks. One journey to your own South Pole. A visual, multi-sensory classroom goal-setting challenge inspired by Meghan Buchanan's unsupported ski expedition from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole.
ONE SCHOOL
AN IN-PERSON KEYNOTE
One participating school will be selected from the schools represented by people who download the challenge resources. The selected school will receive an in-person keynote from Meghan, who will speak with students.
WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE
Join the expedition, choose a goal and discover the tools of GGRIT along your journey to the South Pole.
YOUR GOAL. YOUR SOUTH POLE.
The expedition is a metaphor for setting a meaningful goal, navigating obstacles and discovering the strengths that help you keep moving forward.
Choose Your Own Expedition
Each student chooses one personal, academic or creative goal to work toward over the challenge cycle. Goals are broken into smaller weekly lessons and achievable mini-challenges—meant to inspire, not overwhelm.
- Choose a goal that matters to you.
- Set two milestone check points along your route.
- Track daily progress, mood, experiences and learning.
Built for Different Ways of Learning
The framework is designed to be highly visual, kinetic and auditory, minimizing heavy writing and reading tasks. It emphasizes multi-sensory experiences, spatial reasoning, big-picture thinking, emotional intelligence and problem-solving.
- Recommended for middle and high school.
- Teachers and parents can adapt it for younger students.
- All students are welcome, including neurotypical students.
DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES
The guide supports educators. The map, tracker and activity sheets help students follow their own expedition from launch to reflection.
The Great Antarctica GGRIT Challenge™ — Guide
The complete 10-week framework for teachers, parents and educators.
Download PDFThe Great Antarctica GGRIT Challenge™ — Map
The student expedition map from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole.
Download PDFAntarctica GGRIT® Goal Comparison Matrix
The Excel worksheet for daily experiences, mood, motivation, wins and setbacks.
Download XLSXPack Your Pulk
A visual activity to identify helpful tools, motivation and habits to leave behind.
Download PDFGGRIT® Certificate of Completion
The completion certificate for students who finish the challenge.
Download PDFPostcard from the Pole
A final reflection activity: write or dictate a postcard to your Week 0 self.
Download PDFResources: All six challenge downloads are connected. Once registration is saved, the selected file will begin downloading automatically.
TEN WEEKS. ONE EXPEDITION.
Each phase pairs a real Antarctic expedition challenge with a student activity and a GGRIT strength focus.
Launch Event
Choose one personal, academic or creative goal for the next two months. Begin the journey with courage.
Gear Check & Pulk Packing
Identify the tools, accommodations and motivation that will help you move forward—and the extra weight to leave behind.
Expedition Start
Choose two milestones, begin the climb and start daily progress and mood tracking.
Crevasse Field
Identify personal triggers, choose a support team and build strategies for navigating obstacles.
White Out Conditions
Revisit your route when progress is difficult. Pause, pivot or adjust your goal without giving up.
The Sastrugi Maze
Name the obstacles in your way and brainstorm practical strategies to move around them.
Polar Plateau Slog
Check your direction, resources and pace when the work becomes repetitive or motivation dips.
High Plateau Depletion
Renew your energy, reconnect with your reason for choosing the goal and prepare for the final push.
Last Degree Push
Complete the final stretch, reach your South Pole and celebrate what you have achieved.
Recover & Reflect
Reflect on the journey, share what you learned and choose your next GGRIT expedition.
The 10-Week Great Antarctica GGRIT Challenge™ curriculum is for informational, educational and motivational purposes only. Participation is voluntary. Students choosing physical goals do so at their own risk. Parents, guardians and supervising educators are responsible for reviewing, approving and supervising student activities for safety and appropriateness. Please review the full disclaimer in the Challenge Guide before participating.
MEGHAN'S JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH POLE
Follow Meghan Buchanan's unsupported ski expedition from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole on the separate live expedition tracking page.