Bridging the Poles:Bridging the Poles:Education Linked Education Linked

with Researchwith ResearchStephanie Pfirman, Robin Bell, Stephanie Pfirman, Robin Bell, Margie Turrin, Poonam MaruMargie Turrin, Poonam Maru

Got Snow?

• • Workshop June 23-25, 2004 Workshop June 23-25, 2004

• • Washington, DCWashington, DC

• • co-chairs - Pfirman and Bell, co-chairs - Pfirman and Bell,

• • Sponsored by NSF OPPSponsored by NSF OPP

Attended By:Attended By:

65 Participants: K-12 educators, undergraduate 65 Participants: K-12 educators, undergraduate professors, Arctic and Antarctic researchers, Alaskan professors, Arctic and Antarctic researchers, Alaskan natives and residents, museum curators, and natives and residents, museum curators, and representatives from agencies, the media, and representatives from agencies, the media, and international programs.international programs.

PRODUCTSPRODUCTS

►““Education and Outreach for the Education and Outreach for the International Polar Year”, Eos, Vol. 85, International Polar Year”, Eos, Vol. 85, No. 49, 7 December 2004No. 49, 7 December 2004

►Workshop report comments until Workshop report comments until January 3, 2005: January 3, 2005: http://www.http://www.ldeoldeo..columbiacolumbia..eduedu/~/~mktmkt//PolarEDPolarED_Web._Web.htmhtm

►Workshop report publication date: Workshop report publication date: February/March 2005February/March 2005

Workshop Structure and Workshop Structure and OutcomesOutcomes

►22 Roundtable Discussions22 Roundtable Discussions►Defined Objectives and StrategiesDefined Objectives and Strategies

Target Learners at All LevelsTarget Learners at All Levels Engage Diverse ParticipationEngage Diverse Participation Leverage the Importance and Excitement Leverage the Importance and Excitement

of Polar Scienceof Polar Science Effective Education and Outreach Effective Education and Outreach

InfrastructureInfrastructure

Target Learners at Target Learners at All LevelsAll Levels

Got Snow?

►ObjectivesObjectivesPublic engagement in polar regions Public engagement in polar regions Lifelong scientific literacyLifelong scientific literacyBeyond science, to math, reading …Beyond science, to math, reading …

►StrategiesStrategiesK-5 – capitalize on natural interestK-5 – capitalize on natural interest6-12 – incorporate in standard curricula6-12 – incorporate in standard curriculaUndergraduate non-science majors – Undergraduate non-science majors – engaging materialengaging materialUndergraduate and graduate science Undergraduate and graduate science students – field experiencesstudents – field experiencesGeneral public and continuing General public and continuing education – links to history, art, heritageeducation – links to history, art, heritageInstitutions and agencies, educators Institutions and agencies, educators (formal and informal), researchers, (formal and informal), researchers, professional mediaprofessional media

Engage Diverse ParticipationEngage Diverse Participation►ObjectivesObjectives

Arctic residents, including Arctic residents, including indigenous populations, are indigenous populations, are meaningfully engaged meaningfully engaged

Broaden diversity of those Broaden diversity of those interested in polar science interested in polar science

► Strategies – direct interactionStrategies – direct interaction Arctic natives and residentsArctic natives and residents Ethnic diversityEthnic diversity Gender diversityGender diversity Geographic and international Geographic and international

diversitydiversity Socio-economic diversitySocio-economic diversity

Henson at North Pole with Peary in 1909

Earth Conservation Corps Matthew Henson Center in Washington, DC, in partnership with National Geographic

Leverage the Importance Leverage the Importance and Excitement of Polar and Excitement of Polar

ScienceScience►ObjectivesObjectives

Roles of the poles in global Roles of the poles in global systems systems Multi/interdisciplinary Multi/interdisciplinary New generation of polar New generation of polar scientists, engineers, and scientists, engineers, and leadersleaders

►Strategies – appreciation Strategies – appreciation for nature and nature-society for nature and nature-society interactionsinteractions

Life in extreme environmentsLife in extreme environmentsHeritage, community and Heritage, community and “pride of place”“pride of place”Environmental variability and Environmental variability and changechangePolicy and stewardshipPolicy and stewardshipScience as a human endeavorScience as a human endeavor

Nicklin, F. 1991, "Beneath Arctic Ice". National Geographic

Effective Education and Effective Education and Outreach InfrastructureOutreach Infrastructure

►ObjectivesObjectives Long-term involvement of Long-term involvement of

educators and scientistseducators and scientists Reinforcing partnerships Reinforcing partnerships Linking communities around the Linking communities around the

globeglobe► StrategiesStrategies

Coordinating body with working Coordinating body with working group and staffgroup and staff

Dynamic, sustained, one-stop Dynamic, sustained, one-stop polar research and education polar research and education web site: media and educators web site: media and educators are eager for high quality are eager for high quality content content

High bandwidth High bandwidth communicationscommunications

DLESE IPY resource discovery page

Structure for ImplementationStructure for Implementation

► Integrated Research Integrated Research

and Education Programsand Education Programs► Emphasize Cross-Cutting Emphasize Cross-Cutting

ThemesThemes between the sciencesbetween the sciences between other disciplines between other disciplines

and scienceand science

►Maximize IPY PotentialMaximize IPY Potential

Integrated ResearchIntegrated Research

►Encourage a broad spectrum of research, Encourage a broad spectrum of research, education, and outreach projects with flexibility in education, and outreach projects with flexibility in design and sizedesign and size

Not all research programs need to have a major Not all research programs need to have a major education componenteducation componentNot all outreach programs need to have a major research Not all outreach programs need to have a major research componencomponen

►Large, collaborative projects can have major Large, collaborative projects can have major national or even international impact when science national or even international impact when science programs are connected with press events, programs are connected with press events, educational programming, and spin-offs of local educational programming, and spin-offs of local programsprograms►Small, individual projects can cause sustained Small, individual projects can cause sustained transformation of local or target communitiestransformation of local or target communities

Cross-Cutting ThemesCross-Cutting Themes►Fascination with Fascination with extreme environments extreme environments at the poles – at the poles – exploration, discovery, exploration, discovery, self-relianceself-reliance►Heritage and historyHeritage and history►Place-based, multi/ Place-based, multi/ interdisciplinary interdisciplinary approachapproach►Field experiencesField experiences►Link research with Link research with education – face-to-faceeducation – face-to-face

Student doing work with ice cores at Met station. Photo by Lucette Barber, Schools on Board,

University of Manitoba

Maximize IPY PotentialMaximize IPY Potential► Build an exciting public presence over 2 Build an exciting public presence over 2

yearsyears► Integrate research with education – from Integrate research with education – from

RFP through implementation and rolloutRFP through implementation and rollout► Connect communities and develop Connect communities and develop

partnerships among agencies, scientists, partnerships among agencies, scientists, educators, the media, and the publiceducators, the media, and the public

Research orEducationalPrograms

Public Rollout

2007 2009

Additional Recurring Additional Recurring ThemesThemes

► Fascination with life in extreme Fascination with life in extreme environments – exploration, discovery, self-environments – exploration, discovery, self-reliancereliance

► Incorporate Non traditional Educational Incorporate Non traditional Educational OptionsOptions

► Link the world, with the worlds at the ends Link the world, with the worlds at the ends of the earthof the earth

► Leverage existing resources as well as Leverage existing resources as well as create new programscreate new programs

► Build capacity through people and Build capacity through people and infrastructureinfrastructure

American Museum of Natural History

Fascination with Fascination with Life in Extreme Life in Extreme EnvironmentsEnvironments

Drift Track by Fowler

IncorporatinIncorporating Non-g Non-Traditional Traditional Educational Educational OpportunitieOpportunities: s: Interactive Interactive Game - “If Game - “If Shackleton Shackleton had gotten had gotten stuck in the stuck in the ice another ice another year …”year …”

January 2001

““That Nansen did not endeavor to find  his ship, but left That Nansen did not endeavor to find  his ship, but left her in the ice while he laid his course homeward, has her in the ice while he laid his course homeward, has led certain critics to censure his conduct. led certain critics to censure his conduct. General Greely, a renowned arctic explorer, asserts that General Greely, a renowned arctic explorer, asserts that he ‘thus deviated from the most sacred duty devolving he ‘thus deviated from the most sacred duty devolving upon the commander of a naval expedition.’” upon the commander of a naval expedition.’” N. S. N. S. Shaler (1897)Shaler (1897)

After 4 Years of Drift: C. Fowler

Fridtjof Nansen and the Fridtjof Nansen and the FramFram

Potential New Museum Potential New Museum Exhibition Exhibition

Centennial of North Pole Centennial of North Pole “Attainment” by Peary and “Attainment” by Peary and

Henson in 1909Henson in 1909

Matthew Henson

The “Big Lead” Tremblay

Linking the Linking the Poles with the Poles with the Rest of the Rest of the Earth:Earth:Environmental Environmental Variability and Variability and ChangeChange http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~kd/KDwebpages/NHice.html#one

Photo: Inuit Tapirisat of

Canada

Photo: Eric Loring, 1991

National History Day is not just one day, National History Day is not just one day, but a yearlong education program that but a yearlong education program that makes history come alive through makes history come alive through educator professionaleducator professional development and development and active student learningactive student learning

Leveraging Existing Leveraging Existing Resources:Resources:

Polar Focus in Competitions for Polar Focus in Competitions for School KidsSchool Kids

ImplementationImplementation

►Education and Outreach Leadership, Community Education and Outreach Leadership, Community Building and Management connected with Research Building and Management connected with Research ProgramsPrograms

Need US Interagency Working GroupNeed US Interagency Working Group►NSF, NASA, NOAA, EPA, Parks/Smithsonian …NSF, NASA, NOAA, EPA, Parks/Smithsonian …►Define roles/responsibilities and links with existing Define roles/responsibilities and links with existing programsprograms►Assign/hire leaders and staffAssign/hire leaders and staff

Need International Working GroupNeed International Working Group►Identify Programs, Priorities, Develop Integrated Identify Programs, Priorities, Develop Integrated Research/Media/Education Implementation and Research/Media/Education Implementation and Evaluation Strategy Evaluation Strategy

Define participation and audiencesDefine participation and audiencesEstablish research, media, education and community Establish research, media, education and community partnerspartnersIdentify feature programs and sequencing: national and Identify feature programs and sequencing: national and internationalinternationalImplement and measure successImplement and measure success

InfrastructurInfrastructure:e:

Web PortalWeb Portal

► The media and The media and educators are eager educators are eager for high quality for high quality contentcontent Dynamic, sustained, Dynamic, sustained,

one-stop polar research one-stop polar research and education web siteand education web site

High bandwidth High bandwidth communicationscommunications

ContentContent►Reports from the field: Reports from the field:

research news and research news and storiesstories

►CurriculaCurricula►Data: multidisciplinary, Data: multidisciplinary,

qualitative as well as qualitative as well as quantitativequantitative

►Animations, simulationsAnimations, simulations►CareersCareers►Contacts: scientists, Contacts: scientists,

educators, communities, educators, communities, mediamedia

DLESE IPY resource discovery pageDLESE IPY resource discovery page

MeasurinMeasuring g Success: Success: By 2010 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?

Start Now…Start Now…

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

Young student preparing for field experiment. Photo by

Don Perovich