Polar Educators
The Polar Educators program facilitates virtual and field deployments to the Arctic and Antarctic for both formal and informal educators in the United States. The program aims to inspire transdisciplinary education about science in the polar regions, integrating art-based and science-based methods to promote critical thinking, engagement, and accessible & inclusive opportunities for learners.
The program works with faculty from community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions, middle and high school educators, as well as informal educators who work in science education settings such as museums and science centers. Polar STEAM will foster an integrated approach to science communication with cohorts of participants who engage learners in exploring and understanding critical polar environments and human endeavors at the poles.
Check the Applications page for current information. Register to receive updates about applying for Polar STEAM.
Antarctic Artists and Writers
The Antarctic Artists and Writers program facilitates deployments to the Antarctic for creative practitioners within the arts and humanities. Collaborations between polar researchers and artists & writers help increase the public’s understanding of and appreciation for human and scientific endeavors in Antarctica through the resulting works.
Examples of previous creative work and collaborations can be enjoyed in the online exhibition Adequate Earth produced by the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective. This grass-roots collective is run independently from the Polar STEAM program and is shared here as an example of previous work accomplishments by Antarctic Artists and Writers. A complete list of all past participants can be found on the NSF website.
Check the Applications page for current information. Register to receive updates about applying for Polar STEAM.
Polar Researchers
Polar STEAM works with NSF funded polar researchers seeking to elevate the broader impacts of their research through education and the arts. Working in collaboration with educators, artists, and writers, researchers will help increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of human and scientific endeavors in polar regions. Polar STEAM works with researchers in the field and those conducting polar research remotely.
Polar STEAM seeks to broaden reach and elevate voices historically underrepresented in polar sciences. Polar STEAM welcomes researchers across a wide spectrum of research disciplines including social sciences.
Polar STEAM is accepting researcher applications for the 2024 and 25 seasons and inquiries for future research seasons. Register to receive updates about future opportunities.
Watch: Researcher Program Overview
Made possible with funding by the National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.