Nunavut Arctic College

The IPY 2012 From Knowledge to Action Conference will bring together the latest science findings from the Arctic and Antarctic on everything from oceans to the atmosphere, to snow, permafrost and sea ice, to vegetation and wildlife, to economic and social development, and the people and communities who call the Arctic home.

“The Polar Educators Workshop offers us the rare opportunity to interact and learn from educators from all over the world, discuss best teaching practices, and be brought up to speed on some of the latest polar research,” said Jason Carpenter, the program’s senior instructor. “I truly believe it will make Michelle and I better instructors, which ultimately benefits our students, and the program as a whole.  I have never been this excited to attend a workshop!”

Through the generous support of the Government of Canada, Jason, Michelle and PolarEDUCATORS participants will take part in stimulating talks from polar scientists, educators, indigenous Arctic community members, as well as leaders and innovators. They will also be able to try new activities, experiments and lessons that educators will be able to adapt for use in their own classrooms.

“I look forward to adapting research-related learning activities to the post-secondary level, and building on our new laboratory capacity by building partnerships with researchers,” said instructor Michelle McEwan. “I’d like to create more collaborative lab-based experiences for our students.”

Through a series of public engagement, education and outreach sessions participants will have opportunities to network and take part in an Action Forum on the future of polar science education.

The College’s two-year Environmental Technology Diploma Program, which combines classroom and practical lab and field experiences to develop student skills, is currently being delivered in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet.

“Hopefully we can help reinforce to researchers, supervisors, and granting agencies that there are tangible long-term rewards to building social capital by engaging in authentic community-level outreach,” said Michelle. “Researchers who have worked with our students, year after year, provide some of the best examples of this type of outreach. These researchers are helping build the ETP program as they build their own careers.  They are leading the way for the future of science in the north.”

The IPY 2012 From Knowledge to Action Conference runs April 22-27 in Montreal.

For more information on IPY, visit their web site at: http://www.ipy.org

For more information on the Arctic College Environmental Technology Program, visit their web site at: www.arcticcollege.ca