Teachers involved in PolarTREC spend about two to six weeks at their polar sites, collaborating with scientific research teams and connecting with students and the public via online media.
[1] Notable past PolarTREC expeditions include: •Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra (2013), which studied the effects of warming and drying on tundra carbon balance [3] •Airborne Survey of Polar Ice (2013), a six-year NASA mission, which is the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever conducted [4] •Tectonic History of the Transantartic Mountains (2012), which deciphered the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains and the Wilkes Subglacial Basin [5] •Greenland Education Tour (2012), part of an initiative to foster enhanced international scientific cooperation between Greenland and the US [6] •In 2011, PolarTREC teacher John Wood lived in a tent at the top of Mount Erebus, an active volcano in Antarctica.
The average temperative was -20 F.[7] Teachers must apply to the program and only the top 100 applications make it to the PolarTREC selection committee.
While on the trip teachers are expected to communicate through the Virtual Home Base and give updates using message boards, photo albums, podcasts, "PolarConnect" events and presentations from the field.
[9] Teachers are encouraged to share their experiences with a wider audience by writing articles and speaking at conferences.