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People
worldwide now have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to research and explore the Arctic and Antarctic regions
through the International Polar Year (IPY), which begins
in March 2007. More than 100 countries will undertake
projects involving students, teachers and the public to
increase understanding of the Earth's polar regions. The
aim is to create an indelible impression on future scientists,
engineers, and educators and a lasting legacy of science.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces nine
projects funded to create a variety of educational programming,
materials, multimedia, presentations and field experiences
to engage the public during IPY--a concerted, worldwide
scientific research effort to advance understanding about
the effects of Earth's remote polar regions on global
climate systems; to bring about fundamental advances in
many areas of science; and to inspire men and women to
pursue careers in science and engineering.
IPY 2007 is a history-making event that builds on three
previous international science years, IPY 1882, IPY 1932,
and the International Geophysical Year in 1957, which
changed the face of modern geoscience. IPY 2007 will take
place over two calendar years to allow researchers to
conduct two annual observing cycles in each polar region.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
has identified NSF as the lead federal agency for coordinating
U.S. IPY activities.
NSF Director Arden Bement noted that the new education
grants, as part of larger portfolio of NSF science and
education initiatives for IPY, will not only stimulate
interest in the important federally funded polar research
occurring during IPY, they will also help achieve an important
IPY goal: leaving a scientific and education legacy for
future generations.
"This effort has the potential to create a legacy
for decades, one that will benefit the nation as well
as the science and engineering community more specifically,"
Bement said. "By linking the public's fascination
with things polar to outreach that conveys the excitement
of research and discovery, we can attract a new generation
of Americans into science and engineering careers while
contributing to a better-informed public."
Through a cooperative effort of its Office of Polar Programs
and its Education and Human Resources directorate, NSF
funded nine projects, totaling $5.7 million, to support
informal education projects--those that primarily involve
science museums, television broadcast, radio and other
media--and formal education from kindergarten through
graduate school.
Institutions from El Paso, Texas to Fairbanks, Alaska
will use the grants for such diverse purposes as taking
graduate and undergraduate students to Antarctica where
they will learn about and conduct polar research, to build
experiences that lead them to careers in science, engineering
and mathematics, to projects featuring polar researchers
in science centers across North America.
The grants also support radio, television, Internet and
podcast features, museum exhibits, live broadcasts from
research vessels and stations at the poles, and provide
opportunities for classroom teachers to conduct field
research in the Arctic and Antarctic and bring real science
to their schools and communities.
During the two years of IPY, public audiences of all
ages, through formal or informal education venues, will
have the opportunity to join the excitement. Whereas the
1957 IPY took place before the world's first satellite
was launched, IPY 2007-2009 takes place at a time when
direct communication via satellite and other technological
advances make it possible to include a worldwide audience
in real time to witness discoveries and share in the research
endeavor.
While the United States will participate prominently
in IPY research and education, NSF encourages students,
teachers, the media and others to join in IPY events and
share the global enthusiasm during this extraordinary
opportunity.
A list of the grantees and their projects follows.
Informal Science Education
IPY: Engaging Antarctica
Principal investigator: J. Michael Farrell, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln The project's goal is to increase
public awareness and understanding of Antarctic geological
research and discovery by producing an episode of the
public television series NOVA that will feature the Antarctic
Drilling Project (ANDRILL), complemented by multi-faceted
outreach.The program will air on the Public Broadcasting
Service in the fall of 2008.
Polar-Palooza
Principal investigator: Geoffrey Haines-Stiles, Geoffrey
Haines-Stiles Productions Polar-Palooza will take scientists
and multimedia presentations on a national tour of science
centers, museums, libraries and schools across North America,
including Canada and Mexico, under the title Stories from
a Changing Planet. High-definition video taped on location
at the poles, audio and video podcasts, and special-education
and outreach activities for targeted audiences will augment
the live presentations. Stories from a Changing Planet
will provide diverse audiences with an opportunity to
meet and interact directly with polar experts, and to
appreciate why the poles and research done relate directly
to their lives.
Live from the Poles: A Multimedia Educational Experience
Principal investigators: Christopher Linder, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, and Paul Fontaine, Museum of
Science Boston The project brings together science centers,
polar researchers and broadcast media to expose the general
public, teachers and students to the stories of four polar
research expeditions. Features will focus on important
research themes of IPY through current projects in the
Arctic and Antarctic.
Pole to Pole
Principal investigator: Moira Rankin, Soundprint Media
Center, Inc This project will use multi-part radio documentaries,
short radio features, and an audio and educational clearinghouse
and related educational Web site on scientific research
in the polar regions to reach a broad public audience.
There will be at least four 30-minute documentaries per
year and 40 to 50 shorter features during IPY. The programs
will be produced and broadcast by National Public Radio,
the British Broadcasting Corp., Australian Broadcasting
Corp., Deustche-Welle, and Radio New Zealand.
Formal Science Education: Graduate and Undergraduate
Education
Adapting SENCER to the Arctic--Improving Polar Science
Education as a Legacy
Principal investigator: Lawrence Duffy, University of
Alaska Fairbanks Science Education for New Civic Engagements
and Responsibilities (SENCER) is an approach to undergraduate
course development supported by NSF. The university's
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Honors Program,
Alaskan Native Science and Engineering Program, and Environmental
Quality Engineering program will use the SENCER model
to create the course "Environmental Radioactivity,
Stewardship and People in the North".
IPY-ROAM: International Polar Year Research and Education
Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities
Principal investigator: Craig Tweedie, University of
Texas El Paso This project focuses on involving minority
students in polar research to support their pursuit of
careers in science. Fifteen undergraduates, five graduate
students and five high-school science teachers will be
selected nation-wide to participate a 3-week expedition
from Tierra del Fuego to Antarctica. The participants
will learn about the Antarctic system, Antarctic research,
exploration and history, and conduct research projects
of their own design in collaboration with the onboard
team of researchers and mentors.
Fostering Collaborative Interdisciplinary Relationships
among the "New Generation" of Polar researchers
Participating in the IPY
Principal Investigators: Susan Weiler, Whitman College,
Boulder, and Sheldon Drobot, University of Colorado, Boulder
The Next Generation Polar Research Symposium will bring
together past, current, and "new" polar investigators
from diverse natural- and social-science disciplines to
cultivate cross-disciplinary interactions during IPY.
The purpose is to provide the new generation with a common
sense of history and purpose, increase their understanding
of each others' work, give them insights for conveying
the essence of polar regions and their particular research
beyond academia, and promote connections among researchers
during IPY and in the years ahead.
Formal Science Education-K-12 and Classroom Teachers
Polar TREC-Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating
Principal Investigator: Wendy Warnick, Arctic Consortium
of the U.S. For three years, Polar TREC will send teachers
to the Arctic and Antarctic as members of research teams
for professional enhancement through hands-on experiences
that will advance polar-science education by bringing
together K-12 educators and polar researchers. Building
on the existing model (http://www.arcus.org/TREC/index.php),
36 teachers will spend 2 to 6 weeks in the Arctic or Antarctic
studying a topic relevant to IPY, with "Live from
IPY" calls, Internet presentations, and podcasts
from the field, daily teacher journals, interactive bulletin
boards, photo galleries, online multimedia learning resources
and activities, and participation in CARE (Connecting
Arctic/Antarctic Researchers and Educators) Web meetings
to translate field experiences into the classroom and
beyond.
Teachers Domain--Polar Sciences
Principal Investigator: Theodore Sicker, WGBH Education
Foundation This project will develop existing resources
associated with IPY 2007 into classroom resources, leveraging
the inherent appeal of the polar regions to teach related
science issues and their relevance to the Earth system.
This initiative builds upon and expands the power, scope,
and established user base of WGBH's Teachers' Domain (www.teachersdomain.org),
a featured portal in the National Science Digital Library.
WGBH will develop a "Polar Sciences" special
collection of 20 rich-media resources, along with a lesson
plan that integrates these resources and addresses curricular
needs at middle- and high-school grade levels.
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National
Science Foundation -
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