The EOC is busy planning for March Polar Week 2015 (March 22-28)! What is Polar Week? It's a time to celebrate how cool the Polar Regions are and the amazing research that happens there. Polar Week aims to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the Polar Regions through education. Events are held world-wide to connect and educate the public about all things polar. There are two International Polar Weeks each year, one in March and one in September, which coincide with the equinoxes– the only time where everywhere on Earth has 12 hours of daylight.

Now more than ever, Polar Week celebrations are of high importance. Climate change is rapidly effecting the Polar Regions and the Aboriginal peoples who make those regions their home. Industries are increasingly making their way to the Polar Regions, which has impacts on the environment, infrastructure, and local communities. These issues are not just a "polar problem", but a global problem that requires global cooperation for a solution. Polar Week can be a time to stress the importance of global communication and cooperation. Polar researchers need to work with educators, community members and politicians to teach the public, especially youth, about these problems and inspire them to come together to work towards solutions.

Scientific research is not conducted in a vacuum. Our research is important not just to the scientific community, but to the public. For researchers, Polar Week can be a time to reflect on and contextualize our research: Why is our research important? Who is benefiting from our research? How can we better communicate our research to the public? To participate in Polar Week you can write an APECS Polar Outreach Blog post explaining why outreach activities like Polar Week are important to you.

In anticipation of this Polar Week, APECS has also launched a social media campaign to promote (Ant)Arctic Literacy! We are calling on early career scientists to share photos of themselves or their research team hard at work in the field or lab via Facebook or Twitter, or share your research activities via Twitter (#PolarWeek) or on our Polar Outreach Blog. And remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@Polar_Research)! This is a great opportunity to share the importance of your research with the online community and connect with other early career scientists.

Let us know what you are planning for March Polar Week 2015! Check out our "Upcoming Polar Week" page for activity ideas or to find a Polar Week celebration near you!
Have fun celebrating all things polar!

Here are a few examples of cool things happening during Polar Week:

The Ice Mitt Project
Follow the adventures of researchers from Dartmouth College as they transport sea ice from Barrow, Alaska to New Hampshire to study the microstructure of sea ice. They will be stopping along the way at schools and museums and you can follow their progress through their website (https://theicemittproject.wordpress.com/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/theicemitt).

Marosa la foca curiosa
The Asociación Antarkos (based on Montevideo, Uruguay) are reporting ongoing changes in both the Arctic and Antarctic through the eyes of Marosa, the curious seal and his penguin friend Borravino. You can follow their updates on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Lafocacuriosa) and Twitter (@Lafocacuriosa) (in Spanish).

Northern Research Day
The University of Alberta Circumpolar Students' Association (CSA) will be hosting "Northern Research Day" (NRD) during March Polar Week. This conference embodies the CSA's goal to connect graduate students from multiple disciplines to share their ideas, experiences, and scientific research on northern earth, biological, and social sciences. NRD is one of the academic and networking opportunities that the CSA organizes to promote cooperation and collaborative research among graduate students. NRD is a one-day conference held at the University of Alberta during which graduate students engaged in northern research share and discuss their work with a network of scientists including peers and faculty. This provides students with the invaluable experience of presenting their scientific research as an oral or poster presentation. NRD benefits the intellectual development and professional advancement of all participants by increasing their understanding of northern issues and expanding their scientific network. (http://www.cci.ualberta.ca/en/CircumpolarStudentsAssociation.aspx)

Videos from the International Polar Foundation
The International Polar Foundation (http://www.polarfoundation.org/) in Brussels produces some great videos featuring polar scientists. Check this one out: https://vimeo.com/118498278

APECS France Webinar Series "les pôles et le climat" from 23 - 28 March 2015!

Check back for more activities!