Upcoming Events:
Cool Connections: Digging Through Time in Alaska
Tuesday, June 16th from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific Time
We invite curious minds, outdoor enthusiasts, and lifelong learners to join archaeologist Bree Doering and educator Tom Turner live from interior Alaska as they explore Alaska Native communities’ traditional relationship with the land and its resources. Together, they’ll share what they’re uncovering about past diets, the role of small animals and plants in the lives of past Interior Alaskans, and the clues hidden in the landscape around them.
During this livestream you’ll hear how the team studies animal remains, plant materials, and environmental records to understand how people adapted over thousands of years. Broadcasting directly from the field, Bree and Tom will give us an inside look at their research process, the tools they use, and the surprising connections they’re finding between climate, culture, and survival.
Please share this with your favorite educators, local library, science center, or community group—they might want to host a watch party!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and make sure you have notifications turned on to find out about future livestreams!
Cool Connections: Deep Secrets of the Arctic Lakes
Monday, June 22nd from 10:00 am – 11:00 am Pacific Time
We invite curious minds, nature lovers, and lifelong learners to join researcher Amanda Gavin and educator Heather Vingsness live from the lake‑rich landscapes of South Greenland, where they’re exploring how present-day climate and farming are shaping these fragile waters. They’ll share what they’re discovering about how lakes store carbon, respond to drought, and support local agriculture.
Those who join us will hear how the team uses lake‑bottom sediments to look back 200 years into the past and year‑round sensors to understand how today’s weather patterns influence lake health. Amanda and Heather will give you a live inside look at the research process and the connections they’re uncovering between climate, farming, and the future of Arctic lakes.
Please share this with your favorite educators, local library, science center, or community group—they might want to host a watch party!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and make sure you have notifications turned on to find out about future livestreams!
Cool Connections: Carbon in the Tundra, an Arctic LTER Story
Thursday, June 25th from 10:00 am – 11:00 am Pacific Time
We invite explorers at heart, science fans, and curious learners to join researcher Rose Cory and educator Karla Lopez Calderon live from the Arctic tundra as they study the links between shifting climate and changing carbon balance in the Arctic as part of the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project.
During this livestream, you’ll hear how the team blends long‑term observations, hands‑on experiments, and modeling to understand carbon movement through the Arctic and how climate variability and disturbances impact the Arctic ecosystem. Broadcasting from the heart of the Toolik Lake region, Rose and Karla will offer a behind‑the‑scenes look at the experiments and observations that will answer big questions about the Arctic ecosystem.
Please share this with your favorite educators, local library, science center, or community group—they might want to host a watch party!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and make sure you have notifications turned on to find out about future livestreams!
Join us for the Polar STEAM Summit
The Polar STEAM Summit will be on October 1-3, 2025 at the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts – PRAx at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Click here for more information.
Previous Events:
View recordings of our previous events by clicking on the links in the list below.
- Livestream from Antarctic Research Vessel (December 3, 2024)
- Livestream: Interview with a Polar STEAM Artist (February 20, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Uncovering the Secrets of Sea Ice (April 17, 2025)
- Antarctic Artists and Writers Info Session (April 30, 2025)
- Educator Program Information Session (June 10, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Saltwater on the Move Along the Arctic Edge (June 18, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Science on a Glacier’s Doorstep (July 10, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Drilling for the Oldest Ice with NSF COLDEX (January 7, 2026)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Echoes of the Ice: Sonic & Scientific Stories from Antarctica (February 10, 2026)
- Cool Connections Livestream Drifters Beneath Antarctic Waves (February 12, 2026)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Diving for Breakthroughs in Medicine and Film in Antarctica (March 24, 2026)
- Antarctic Artists & Writers Info Session 2026
Made possible with funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.