Polar ICE: Bringing the poles to classrooms

Climate changes in the Polar Regions are accelerating and scientists are trying to understand both the patterns and resulting impacts. Specific regions of the Arctic and Antarctic are exhibiting greater changes than others, creating areas of interest (hot spots) for polar research. The Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (Polar ICE, see www.polar-ice.org) project, funded by the National Science Foundation, was designed as an integrated education and outreach program to provide virtual access to the Polar Regions, specifically the hot spots of researcher interest, through polar data and interactions with the scientists. Polar ICE focuses on creating communities of practice among educators and polar scientists around understanding of polar science and data through workshops, data visualization tools, and data-focused activities appropriate for middle-high as well as undergraduate students (grades 6–16).