PolarTREC brings K-12 educators and polar researchers together through an innovative teacher research experience (TRE) model. Unlike other TRE programs, PolarTREC teachers spend two to six weeks in remote arctic and Antarctic field camps from Toolik station in Alaska to Antarctica’s McMurdo Station to ships in the Bering Sea. During their field season teachers become research team members filling a variety of roles in the science team as well as fulfilling a unique role of public outreach officer, conducting live “polar connect” presentations about their field site and research, keeping a web-based polar journal, answering student and others’ questions, and posting pictures of their daily experiences.
The website and virtual base camp are a great place to start following polar and climate science expeditions - www.polartrec.com
PolarTREC is involved in the climate communication community as a conduit to bring polar science into classrooms around the country and world wide. Nearly every project tackles issues of climate change in the polar regions. One of the greatest tools is to empower educators to share cutting edge science with students and making global connections with their local area and personal, school-wide, and community actions.