Sail to Sandwich: a scientific expedition co-sponsored by 5 young researchers, including 3 Normaliens and 1 artist

What if you could support an extraordinary scientific adventure, led by three students from your school?

In 2026, the sailboat Northabout will set course for one of the most inaccessible territories on the planet: the South Sandwich Islands. This six-month expedition, at the crossroads of research and ecological commitment, is led by the association Juste 2.0°C, and includes three students from the Écoles normales supérieures.

Objective: explore, document, transmit.

On the agenda: study of volcanic degassing, glacier melt, the impact of pollution on biodiversity, reflection on scientific practice in extreme and isolated environments, and an artistic project including a watercolour illustrated book and a documentary film. A scientific adventure in collaboration with numerous interdisciplinary research institutions, and deeply committed.

Why does this project concern you, as an alum?

• Because it embodies the values cultivated at the School: intellectual rigour, boldness, and a sense of the common good.

• Because it shows what our young talents can accomplish when supported.

• Because it represents a research that is egalitarian, young, and committed.

• Because it speaks to future generations, through an educational and outreach programme based on the scientific method, engaging thousands of students across France.

Your support is essential

Supporting Sail to Sandwich means:

• Taking the scientific excellence of the ENS even further by enabling students and researchers to carry out a leading interdisciplinary research project.

• Allowing a normalien to bring a major scientific adventure to life.

• Spreading the passion for science to as many people as possible.

• Highlighting the crucial role of youth and science in our society.

• Raising awareness among schoolchildren and the general public about environmental protection through the scientific approach.

Clim aboard