During the project, two competitions will be organized via the web portal to give winners the possibility to visit a polar station during their school holidays. Students from all over Europe are eligible to take part in the competition.
The competition has several rounds.
Students will first be asked to take multiple choice tests multiple choice science tests prepared by the scientists involved in the project. The students with the highest scores will move on to the second round of the competition: an open-question test focused on a particular scientific or environmental question that requires a good knowledge of science and understanding the scientific method. The top scorers from round two move on to the third and final round in which groups of three to six students are asked to devise – with the help of their teachers – research projects that can be carried out at polar research stations. Each group of students competing will present via webinar to a jury comprised of representatives from all EDU-ARCTIC consortium partner institutions.
This will be a unique opportunity for these young people to see the real work of a scientist in the field, an experience likely to impact their future studies and professional choice in a decisive way.
The winning group(s) of students along with their teachers will visit one of the following research stations and take part in research going on there for about two weeks: the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund (Spitsbergen), Akureyri (Iceland), Faroe Islands Nature Investigation (Faroe Islands) or NIBIO Svanhovd (Norway).
During their stay, the winning group of students will be given the opportunity to take part in scientific research at the station, taking measurements and samples normally made at the station. Students will give presentations about the research they witnessed during their stay.
This unique opportunity to see firsthand the work of scientists in the field is an experience likely to have an impact on the future studies and career choice of students involved.
Special educational programs will be prepared in advance for the winning group of students to allow them to play an active role in the activities of the station.
Competition rules and guidelines are currently being prepared.