Welcome to the IPY K-12 Education website for Alaska schools!

image from NASA's Visible Earth

The International Polar Year is a large scientific event focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic, or the Polar Regions. The event takes place from March 2007 to March 2009, but the effects of the research and outreach go far beyond those dates.

IPY, organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is actually the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY 2007-8 covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time.

Education and Outreach are integral to the International Polar Year. Teachers, librarians, and students have the opportunity to experience authentic science in real time and in some cases in the polar regions. We encourage everyone to get involved in this global scientific collaboration by participating in IPY events, teaching and learning about the polar regions, watching films and documentaries, reading books, going on expeditions, and contacting scientists while in the field.

There are thousands of IPY related links on the web, to help you get started we suggest just a few that have taken the time to organize information and resources for educators to use in their classrooms.

» Resources for Educators

NEWS:

Celebration of the North: Pamyua in Concert — The University of Alaska International Polar Year office is sponsoring a concert by the Inuit tribal funk band Pamyua at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at the Hering Auditorium. The concert is a celebration of the unique cultures of the north and their people's ability to adapt to changes in both cultural and natural landscapes. Click here for more information.
If you and your class would like to participate in a live conversation with a scientist and teacher (Anchorage's Joanna Hubbard) working at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, we still have a few Video Teleconference slots available! Please check out our website (www.andrill.org/iceberg) to get a feel for what our science team and educators are up to.