Build bridges between your science, K-12 students, teachers, and the public 

Members of the Lake El’gygytgyn research project have some fun while laying over in Pevek, Russia on the way to the field site. Photo courtesy ARCUS

PolarTREC – Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating is seeking applications from researchers who are interested in hosting a teacher on their polar research project during the 2011 summer and 2011-2012 winter field seasons. 

Galvan takes a break from sampling to pose with two tranquilized polar bears. Galvan worked with researchers Merav Ben-David, Henry Harlow, and John Whiteman studying the behaviors of in land and ice-bound polar bears. Photo courtesy ARCUS

Why host a teacher on your polar research project? By incorporating a teacher in your field work, you gain an enthusiastic team member that assists with research and camp activities, helps get the word out about your research project to students and public audiences, and isn’t afraid of an adventure out in the cold or with numerous mosquitoes!Most importantly, PolarTREC helps you share your excitement for science and important knowledge about the polar regions with the next generation of scientists and citizens.
  

Background Information 

A program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) and funded by the National Science Foundation from 2010-2013, PolarTREC is currently beginning its fifth year of matching teachers with researchers for 2-6 week teacher research experiences in the Arctic and Antarctic. PolarTREC teachers and researchers are matched based on similar science interests. 

Selection Process

Selected researchers will interview top applicants and choose which teacher will join their team. While in the field, teachers and researchers communicate extensively with their colleagues, communities, and students of all ages across the globe, using a variety of interactive tools, which are part of the online PolarTREC Virtual Base Camp. 

PolarTREC Teacher, Cristina Galvan from California, gives two enthusiastic thumbs up while on board the US Coast Guard Icebreaker Polar Sea in October 2009. Photo courtesy ARCUS

More Information:  

A one-hour informational webinar (web seminar) will be held specifically for researchers interested in hosting a PolarTREC teacher on their polar research project on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 at 10:00 am AKDT (11:00 am PDT, 12:00 pm MDT, 1:00 pm CDT, 2:00 pm EDT). Please register for the event at: http://www.polartrec.com/about/researcher-webinar by Monday, 30 August 2010. 

Apply Online: http://www.polartrec.com/researchers/application 

PolarTREC researchers must be at U.S. Institutions. Applications from researchers on NSF-funded projects will receive priority in the selection process. Researchers should have secured funding for their research project prior to applying; if funding is pending and you would still like to host a teacher or if you are unable to meet this deadline, but would like to participate, please contact PolarTREC at info@polartrec.com or 907-474-1600 to discuss your situation. Researcher Application Deadline: Friday, 1 October 2010 

–Kristin Timm, ARCUS

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