Between January 20th and 22nd APECS, in cooperation with the Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø and Arctic Frontiers promoted for the second time the Science for Schools event at Nordnorsk Vitensenter Tromsø, as a side event of the Arctic Frontiers 2015 conference. The goal? To instill the fascination towards science in high school students! Invited young scientists gave lectures to students from schools in Tromsø, sharing their experience and personal insight as scientists in polar fields. Coming from different countries, they explained the work they conduct and its relevance on a global scale. The students went on a journey through the reality of thawing permafrost, the mysterious northern lights, the cute algae growing under sea ice and the tiniest creatures habiting the oceans upon which every marine creature depends on (yes, you got it right... phytoplankton!).
The students also held their very first scientific poster session. And like as in a real conference, the posters were assessed by (although not so scary) judges: the scientists themselves! The poster session impressed everyone, we must admit! Students surprised with their creative titles and an early awareness on environmental issues and climate related themes. They also delighted everyone with engaging communications on broad topics such as the iconic endangered polar bear; the always invasive salmon from fish farms or even sea pollution from the annoyingly persistent plastic... The winning posters stood out by scientific rigor, design and communication of it.
We hope the students got the perks of doing science in cool places and got enthusiastic on a future scientific career. Because they surely showed the potential of pursuing one.