HR: 14:55h
AN: C23B-06    [Abstracts]
TI: "Got Snow?" Education and Outreach for the IPY
AU: Turrin, M
EM: mkt@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 United States
AU: Turrin, M
EM: mkt@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Torrey Cliffs, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Bell, R E
EM: robinb@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Torrey Cliffs, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: * Pfirman, S
EM: spfirman@barnard.edu
AF: Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 United States
AU: * Pfirman, S
EM: spfirman@barnard.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Torrey Cliffs, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Maru, P
EM: pm2127@barnard.edu
AF: Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 United States
AB: The "Bridging the Poles: Education Linked with Research" workshop of June 23-25, brought together an international group of 65 scientists, educators and media specialists to define strategies to engage the next generation of polar scientists, engineers and leaders, and inspire the general public. The workshop results emphasized the need to leverage emerging science programs with meaningful education and outreach programming that is rolled out to the public as major media events. Participants advocated a broad interdisciplinary approach, recognizing that the poles have a rich cultural heritage and fascinating history. Linking research events with student fascination about polar environments, peoples and histories of exploration, can help improve science, math, reading, and other skills. Distance learning with web course delivery is a powerful tool to reach advanced students and to help develop a new generation of researchers among Arctic indigenous peoples. Successful examples of this approach include the University of the Arctic's PhD network, and collaborative field courses. Field experiences build life-long advocates of the poles for students, teachers, and the media alike. Establishing connections among scientists, educators and informal outreach venues in their own community, can have long-lasting impact. "Think Globally/Act Locally" and the complementary "Think Locally/Act Globally" will be important themes for local, national and international IPY programming. Imagine a semi-trailer truck labeled "Got Snow?" traversing the country loaded with polar gear, interactive activities and a snowmaker; polar exhibitions opening at natural history and art museums and zoos; polar-themed postage stamps; national polar book-of-the-month recommendations; made-for-TV polar documentaries; and a rich, multidisciplinary and multilingual web portal. To meet these opportunities requires coordination, linking communities, and high-bandwidth access to high quality content from the polar regions. We need to start now to develop an integrated research/media/education strategy; establish partners among the research, media, and education communities; and diversify participation and audiences.
DE: 9310 Antarctica
DE: 9315 Arctic region
DE: 1863 Snow and ice (1827)
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting