Dates: June 2010 – February 2011
Teachers Embark on Polar Research Experiences
From the Greenland Ice Cap to the South Pole Station, K-12 teachers will embark on authentic scientific expeditions in the polar regions as part of a program that allows teachers to experience first-hand what it is like to conduct scientific research in some of the most remote locations on earth.
After a nationwide search, 13 teachers were selected to have the rare opportunity to travel to the polar regions as a participant of PolarTREC Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating. PolarTREC is a professional development experience in which K-12 teachers participate in polar research, working closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education. PolarTREC expeditions began in July 2010 with teachers traveling to Russia and Norway, and the 2010-2011-field season will conclude with Antarctic projects at McMurdo and South Pole Stations in Antarctica and Bering Sea in the Arctic.
Initially started during the Fourth International Polar Year, PolarTREC was awarded funding from the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs to support teacher researcher experiences from 2010-2013. During the next four years, nearly 50 teachers will have the opportunity to spend two to six weeks working with a research team in the Arctic or Antarctic.
While on field expeditions, teachers and researchers will share their experiences with students of all ages, members of the public, and other education and science professionals through the use of Internet tools such as online journals, multimedia like audio and video, message boards, photo albums, real-time calls from the field called PolarConnect, and online learning resources directory for use by educators. After the field experience, teachers and researchers will continue to share their experiences with the public and create instructional activities to transfer scientific data, methodologies, and technology to classrooms.
PolarTREC is managed by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS). The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) is based in Fairbanks, Alaska and was formed in 1988 to provide leadership in advancing knowledge and understanding of the Arctic.
For more information and to follow the expeditions, visit the PolarTREC website at: http://www.polartrec.com or contact Janet Warburton or Sarah Crowley, PolarTREC Project Managers, at warburton [at] arcus [dot] org or crowley [at] arcus [dot] org or 907-474-1600.
