Bridging the Poles: Education Linked with Research

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Bridging the PolesEducation Linked with Research

• Stephanie Pfirman, Robin Bell, Margie Turrin,
  Poonam Maru

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• Workshop June 23-25, 2004
•  Washington, DC
•  co-chairs - Pfirman and Bell,
•  Sponsored by NSF OPP
• Attended By
• 65 Participants K-12 educators, undergraduate
  professors, Arctic and Antarctic researchers,
  Alaskan natives and residents, museum curators,
  and representatives from agencies, the media, and
  international programs.

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PRODUCTS

• Education and Outreach for the International
  Polar Year, Eos, Vol. 85, No. 49, 7 December
  2004
• Workshop report comments until January 3, 2005
  http//www.ldeo.columbia.edu/mkt/PolarED_Web.htm
• Workshop report publication date February/March
  2005

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Workshop Structure and Outcomes

• 22 Roundtable Discussions
• Defined Objectives and Strategies
• Target Learners at All Levels
• Engage Diverse Participation
• Leverage the Importance and Excitement of Polar
  Science
• Effective Education and Outreach Infrastructure

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Target Learners at All Levels

• Objectives
• Public engagement in polar regions
• Lifelong scientific literacy
• Beyond science, to math, reading
• Strategies
• K-5 capitalize on natural interest
• 6-12 incorporate in standard curricula
• Undergraduate non-science majors engaging
  material
• Undergraduate and graduate science students
  field experiences
• General public and continuing education links
  to history, art, heritage
• Institutions and agencies, educators (formal and
  informal), researchers, professional media

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Engage Diverse Participation

• Objectives
• Arctic residents, including indigenous
  populations, are meaningfully engaged
• Broaden diversity of those interested in polar
  science
• Strategies direct interaction
• Arctic natives and residents
• Ethnic diversity
• Gender diversity
• Geographic and international diversity
• Socio-economic diversity

Henson at North Pole with Peary in 1909
Earth Conservation Corps Matthew Henson Center in
Washington, DC, in partnership with National
Geographic
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Leverage the Importance and Excitement of Polar
Science

• Objectives
• Roles of the poles in global systems
• Multi/interdisciplinary
• New generation of polar scientists, engineers,
  and leaders
• Strategies appreciation for nature and
  nature-society interactions
• Life in extreme environments
• Heritage, community and pride of place
• Environmental variability and change
• Policy and stewardship
• Science as a human endeavor

Nicklin, F. 1991, "Beneath Arctic Ice". National
Geographic
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Effective Education and Outreach Infrastructure

• Objectives
• Long-term involvement of educators and scientists
• Reinforcing partnerships
• Linking communities around the globe
• Strategies
• Coordinating body with working group and staff
• Dynamic, sustained, one-stop polar research and
  education web site media and educators are eager
  for high quality content
• High bandwidth communications

DLESE IPY resource discovery page
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Structure for Implementation

• Integrated Research
• and Education Programs
• Emphasize Cross-Cutting Themes
• between the sciences
• between other disciplines and science
• Maximize IPY Potential

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Integrated Research

• Encourage a broad spectrum of research,
  education, and outreach projects with flexibility
  in design and size
• Not all research programs need to have a major
  education component
• Not all outreach programs need to have a major
  research componen
• Large, collaborative projects can have major
  national or even international impact when
  science programs are connected with press events,
  educational programming, and spin-offs of local
  programs
• Small, individual projects can cause sustained
  transformation of local or target communities

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Cross-Cutting Themes

• Fascination with extreme environments at the
  poles exploration, discovery, self-reliance
• Heritage and history
• Place-based, multi/ interdisciplinary approach
• Field experiences
• Link research with education face-to-face

Student doing work with ice cores at Met station.
Photo by Lucette Barber, Schools on Board,
University of Manitoba
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Maximize IPY Potential

• Build an exciting public presence over 2 years
• Integrate research with education from RFP
  through implementation and rollout
• Connect communities and develop partnerships
  among agencies, scientists, educators, the media,
  and the public

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Additional Recurring Themes

• Fascination with life in extreme environments
  exploration, discovery, self-reliance
• Incorporate Non traditional Educational Options
• Link the world, with the worlds at the ends of
  the earth
• Leverage existing resources as well as create new
  programs
• Build capacity through people and infrastructure

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Fascination with Life in Extreme Environments
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Incorporating Non-Traditional Educational
Opportunities Interactive Game - If
Shackleton had gotten stuck in the ice another
year
Drift Track by Fowler
January 2001
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Fridtjof Nansen and the Fram
That Nansen did not endeavor to find  his ship,
but left her in the ice while he laid his course
homeward, has led certain critics to censure his
conduct. General Greely, a renowned arctic
explorer, asserts that he thus deviated from the
most sacred duty devolving upon the commander of
a naval expedition. N. S. Shaler (1897)
After 4 Years of Drift C. Fowler
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Potential New Museum Exhibition Centennial of
North Pole Attainment by Peary and Henson in
1909
Matthew Henson
The Big Lead Tremblay
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Linking the Poles with the Rest of the
EarthEnvironmental Variability and Change
http//www.gfdl.noaa.gov/kd/KDwebpages/NHice.html
one
Photo Inuit Tapirisat of Canada
Photo Eric Loring, 1991
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Leveraging Existing ResourcesPolar Focus in
Competitions for School Kids
National History Day is not just one day, but a yearlong education program that makes history come alive through educator professional development and active student learning
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Implementation

• Education and Outreach Leadership, Community
  Building and Management connected with Research
  Programs
• Need US Interagency Working Group
• NSF, NASA, NOAA, EPA, Parks/Smithsonian
• Define roles/responsibilities and links with
  existing programs
• Assign/hire leaders and staff
• Need International Working Group
• Identify Programs, Priorities, Develop Integrated
  Research/Media/Education Implementation and
  Evaluation Strategy
• Define participation and audiences
• Establish research, media, education and
  community partners
• Identify feature programs and sequencing
  national and international
• Implement and measure success

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InfrastructureWeb Portal

• The media and educators are eager for high
  quality content
• Dynamic, sustained, one-stop polar research and
  education web site
• High bandwidth communications
• Content
• Reports from the field research news and stories
• Curricula
• Data multidisciplinary, qualitative as well as
  quantitative
• Animations, simulations
• Careers
• Contacts scientists, educators, communities,
  media

DLESE IPY resource discovery page
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Measuring Success By 2010

• Did polar research capture the imagination of the
  public? Do people know more, and care more,
  about the poles?
• Have we inspired a new generation of polar
  scientists? From native communities?
• Did we engage ethnically, socio-economically, and
  geographically diverse populations?
• Are mechanisms in place to sustain infrastructure
  and partnerships into the future?

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Start Now

• Securing funding, establishing meaningful links
  with research programs and communities,
  constructing web portal/clearinghouse,
  involving agencies and industry, developing
  exhibitions and documentaries all require
  substantial lead time