News and Events!

• Special Event! Science of Greenland

  Join us for a very special Live from IPY! event on 8 July 2009 with scientists from around the world, sharing their research in Greenland. This event is being held in conjunction with the Greenland Education Tour 09'. Learn more here.

• Upcoming Expedition!

  

  Join the NSF Einstein Fellow, Jennifer Thompson, as she travels to Greenland with other educators and students from Greenland, Denmark, and the United States on a Joint Science Education Tour.  Follow the expedition!

• PolarTREC on ABC News

  Deanna Wheeler's PolarTREC expediton was recently featured on ABC's Good Morning America! Read the arcticle and watch video clips now...

• Current Expedition!

  

  Join PolarTREC teacher, Mark McKay as he embarks for a summer research cruise in the Bering Sea. Follow Mr. McKay!

PolarTREC expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica are underway! Be sure to check out the Virtual Base Camp to follow teachers and researchers!

PolarTREC is an educational research experience, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and managed by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., in which K-12 teachers participate in polar research, working closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education.

In celebration of the International Polar Year (2007-2009), a global scientific campaign to advance our understanding of the polar regions, thirty-six U.S. teachers will spend two to six weeks working with a research team in the Arctic or Antarctic, exploring the environments, cultures, history, and science. PolarTREC teachers will learn about cutting-edge scientific research on topics ranging from atmospheric chemistry to seabird ecology and will share their experiences with scientists, educators, communities, and hundreds of students of all ages across the globe.

PolarTREC builds on the past TREC program (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating in the Arctic) to encompass learning experiences in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Visit the TREC website for more information about the 2004-2006 TREC expeditions.

The arctic tern is a small bird with a big travel schedule! The arctic tern migrates over 22,000 miles each year from the Arctic to Antarctica-the longest migration of any bird in the world. The tern lives in almost perpetual daylight, spending the northern summer in the Arctic and the austral summer in the Antarctic. The arctic tern is a wonderful mascot for PolarTREC teachers who will follow it on its long distance journeys to the polar regions! Read more about the arctic tern here.