PolarTREC opens windows to exciting, cutting-edge polar science for teachers, researchers, classrooms, and the public. Join PolarTREC and discover the Polar Regions! There are many ways to participate in PolarTREC.
Follow the Expeditions!
PolarTREC teacher Dena Rosenberger at the Adelie penguin rookery near McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Anyone can participate in PolarTREC by following the teachers and researchers on their expeditions through the
Virtual Base Camp. Virtual learning expeditions allow you to communicate directly with PolarTREC teachers and researchers in the field, read teacher journals, post to message boards, view photo albums, and access classroom activities, podcasts, and video files. The Polar Regions are just a click away!
Participate in PolarConnect events!
A live event aboard the Oden with PolarTREC Teacher Jeff Peneston.
PolarConnect (formerly known as Live from IPY!) transports students and the public to remote polar locations to learn about exciting polar science through real-time Internet presentations from the field. PolarConnect utilizes an Internet platform called Wimba that supports online slide presentations, voiceover IP, audio, and text chat functions to allow for interaction with teachers and researchers during their PolarTREC expeditions. PolarConnect participants have the unique opportunity to ask questions to teachers and leading researchers studying the polar regions. Participation and all materials are free!
Learn more about PolarConnect and register for upcoming events here.
Join the Polar Education List!
Join the Polar Education List to receive news delivered right to your email about polar education issues, opportunities, and important events!
Participate in an Online Professional Development Course
Melting ice in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway
PolarTREC and ARCUS have partnered with the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Education to administer the Cyber-based Interdisciplinary Science Education (C-ISE) Learning Community. The goal of the C-ISE Learning Community is to provide professional development opportunities to educators through course materials and activities that utilize real-time connections with teachers and researchers working in the polar regions, genuine polar science data, and an innovative learning community which allows participants to jointly construct knowledge. The course is made up of three 1-credit modules offered in the spring, summer, and fall starting in March 2011. Annually, the modules will cover a specific polar science subject related to physical, earth, or life sciences. The course design gives K-12 educators, especially those who teach multiple subjects, fresh content related specifically to the subjects they are teaching. Each session is limited to 15 participants, and some scholarships will be available each semester.
Learn more here!
Become a PolarTREC Teacher!
PolarTREC teacher Leslie Pierce holding snow goose goslings near Barrow, Alaska
What better way to learn about the polar regions and how science is conducted than to join a scientific expedition in the Arctic or in Antarctica? More information about research experiences for teachers can be found by reading the PolarTREC
goals and objectives,
program requirements, and the
teacher frequently asked questions.
The application period for teachers wanting to participate on an expedition in the 2013-2014 field season is now closed. Please check back in mid-summer 2013 for additional opportunities.
Host a Teacher!
Teacher Amy Clapp and researcher Max Holmes process samples from the Mackenzie River, Canada
Share your knowledge and passion for science! Researchers can host a PolarTREC teacher in the field and share their knowledge of polar research with classrooms around the world. By including a PolarTREC teacher, the research team gains a trained and enthusiastic helping hand in the field and a global perspective on science education and outreach. Learn more about PolarTREC, the
benefits of hosting a teacher as well as the
program requirements for participating researchers or visit the
Researcher FAQ section. We are always looking for researchers to work with and applications can be submitted at any time for teams wanting to host a teacher.
The application period for researchers wanting to host a teacher on an expedition in the 2013-2014 field season is coming to an end. Apply today! Click here to learn more and access the online application for researchers.
For more information please contact info [at] polartrec [dot] com or call ARCUS at 907-474-1600.
