IPY-ROAM: International Polar Year Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities

该提案积极邀请少数民族本科生、研究生和K-12教师参与南极实践研究，并为参与者提供全面的指导计划。该项目的主要驱动因素是：1)远程动手实地教学和研究经验为学生和教师提供了经过验证的和变革性的生活和教育经验。2)少数民族在工程和科学以及大多数大学留学项目中的代表性严重不足——尤其是在极地科学领域。3)国际极地年（IPY）提供了一个独特的机会来教育下一代科学家和公众关于极地地区及其对全球系统的重要性。该提案的主要目标是：1)增加未被充分代表的少数民族继续在科学领域获得更高学位或职业的人数；2)提高公众对极地地区的认识和知识。学生和教师将有机会前往南极洲，获得南极实地研究和系统科学的第一手经验，这一新颖的、改变人生的机会将激发这两方面的兴趣。拟开展的活动包括：1 .以考察队发起的已建立的南极海外研究实地课程为基础，利用系统科学方法促进探究和基于问题的学习。2 .招募来自多个学科的15名本科生和5名研究生，以及5名高中科学教师（总共25名参与者），他们来自美国主要未被充分代表的少数民族，参加该项目，以获得课程学分。预备讲座的网络直播加上到华盛顿特区的实地考察，在那里参与者将会见极地科学领域的专家和与南极洲国际政策和旅游有关的组织。与会者还将探讨有关提高少数民族在科学和工程领域代表性的重要性的概念。这是一次为期三周的南极旅游之旅，参加者将乘坐一艘南极旅游船从火地岛前往南极半岛，在设计、实施、记录和传播实践实地研究（包括数据存档）方面受到指导。因为现在每年有2万多名游客到南极洲旅游，这种经历为研究日益增长的南极生态旅游业的活动和影响提供了一个独特的教育机会。5 .从南极洲向社区进行外展，包括向公共广播电台提供卫星实况转播，建立一个有问答互动活动的项目网站和学生和教师的期刊，以及制作诸如课程产品和南极实地经验的教育纪录片等遗产。使用定量和定性方法评价正规和非正规教育活动。在国家冰雪数据中心（NSIDC）出版和存档课程材料、实地数据以及与项目成功的正式评估相关的评估。拟议的活动将通过建立数据和教育遗产来庆祝极地年，这将提高科学能力和公众对极地地区的认识，并招募少数民族从事极地科学。拟议的活动将具有重大的智力价值：数据收集将包括数据抢救和生成新数据；开发K-12课程、广泛的网站和电影纪录片；还将完成对拟议活动的教育影响的正式评价。所有活动都将侧重于教育和专业发展，并将以系统科学方法为基础，以确保南极系统的物理、生物和社会组成部分之间的充分联系以及这些组成部分与全球系统的关系。这个项目最重要的贡献将是在科学和工程领域被低估的学生和教师的进步。所有数据和课程将在适当的地方公开提供，并存档在NSIDC。

This proposal actively involves minority undergraduates, graduate students and K-12 teachers in hands-on research in Antarctica and provides a comprehensive mentoring program for the participants. Key drivers of the project are: 1) Remote hands-on field-based instructional and research experiences provide students and teachers with proven and transformational life and educational experiences. 2) Minority groups are severely under-represented in engineering and science and most university study abroad programs -- especially in the polar sciences. 3) The International Polar Year (IPY) provides a unique opportunity to educate the next generation of scientists and the general public about the Polar Regions and their importance to the global system. The principal objectives of this proposal are to 1) increase the number of underrepresented minorities continuing on to higher degrees or careers in science and 2) increase public awareness and knowledge about the Polar Regions. Both will be stimulated through a novel and life-changing opportunity for students and teachers to travel to Antarctica and acquire first-hand experience in Antarctic field-based research and system science.Proposed activities include:1. Building on an established Antarctic study abroad field course initiated by the Investigatory team that promotes inquiry and problem based learning using a systems science approach.2. Recruiting 15 undergraduate and 5 graduate students from multiple disciplines, plus 5 high school science teachers (25 participants in total) from primarily underrepresented minorities across the U.S to participate in the program for course credit.3. Web-casting of preparatory lectures plus a field trip to Washington DC, where participants will meet with a range of experts in the polar sciences and organizations affiliated with international policy and tourism in Antarctica. Participants will also explore concepts relating to the importance of advancing the representation of minorities in science and engineering.4. A capstone 3-week field trip aboard an Antarctic tourist vessel from Tierra del Fuego to the Antarctic Peninsula where participants will be mentored in the design, implementation, documentation and dissemination of hands-on field based research including data archiving. Because over 20,000 tourists now visit Antarctica annually, this experience provides a unique educational opportunity for examining the activities and impacts of the growing Antarctic ecotourism industry.5. Community outreach from Antarctica including live satellite feeds to public radio, a project web site with question/answer interactivity and journals from students and teachers, as well as the production of legacies such as curriculum products and an educational documentary of the Antarctic field experience.6. Evaluating formal and informal education activities using quantitative and qualitative methods.7. Publishing and archiving at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), course materials, field data, and evaluations related to the formal assessment of the success of the project.The proposed activities will celebrate the IPY through the establishment of data and educational legacies that will improve scientific capacities and public awareness of the Polar Regions and the recruitment of minorities to polar science.The proposed activities will have significant intellectual merit: data gathering will include data rescue as well as generation of new data; development of K-12 curricula, an extensive web site and film documentary; a formal evaluation of the educational impact of the proposed activities will also be completed. All activities will focus on educational and professional development and will be underpinned by a systems science approach to ensure adequate linkage between physical, biological, social components of the Antarctic System and how these relate to the global system. The most significant contribution of this project will be the advancement of underrepresented students and teachers in science and engineering. All data and curricula will be made publicly available where appropriate and archived at NSIDC.