Education and Outreach
The NNA-CO Education and Outreach team supports NNA project teams in engaging with communities and audiences across the Arctic and outside the Arctic in culturally responsive ways. The Community Office Education & Outreach team:
- Builds capacity within Alaska and Arctic-interested educators to leverage NNA knowledge and research discoveries in their classrooms and empower youth engagement in Arctic issues.
- Builds capacity within NNA researchers for coordinated, impactful, and culturally appropriate Education & Outreach.
- Develops Education & Outreach engagement opportunities and resources in collaboration with local educators for NNA researchers.
Broader Impacts Network
The network fosters collaboration and learning across projects, shares practices across the network, connects NNA scientists to opportunities and increases visibility of NNA research. Together we will increase our capacity for culturally appropriate education and outreach. Join the NNA Broader Impacts Network for quarterly meetings and keep an eye out for network-wide events, outreach fairs, and science storytelling workshops.
For more information and resources from previous meetings visit our Broader Impacts Network page.
AK STEAM Collaboration Newsletter
Sharing STEAM opportunities and resources through statewide collaboration
The NNA-CO and the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center, in partnership with the Alaska Science Teachers Association, share STEAM opportunities and resources on a quarterly basis through this newsletter. We share Alaska and Arctic-focused opportunities and resources for educators in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Subscribe to this newsletter here. Submit an item to our next newsletter here.
Upcoming Events
Science Storytelling Series - Community Storytelling with Data from your Project and Scenarios of Change
October 19, 2023 | 1:00-2:00pm MT
Join the NNA-CO education & outreach team for another session on science storytelling with communities. In this session, we will practice a technique that translates data from Arctic region projects and climate projection scenarios into stories of possible futures and actions youth and adults can take to create their best possible future. The workshop will provide lesson plans and hands-on practice with the technique.
Register here. View the series webpage here.
Science Storytelling Series - Filmmaking Workshop
November 2023 (Exact date/time TBD)
Join producer, script writer, videographer and editor Ryan Vachon (Provare Media) for a 90-minute filmmaking workshop. Ryan will work with attendees to identify a project mission statement, discuss camera and audio gear, approaches to filming, and provide an overview of basics in editing.
View the series webpage here.
Registration coming soon.
AGU Session on “Arctic Education & Outreach - Effective Ways of Engaging Diverse Learners in Arctic Science (ED004)
December 11-15, 2023 (Exact date/time TBD)
The changing polar environments have created important scientific and societal concerns in high and lower latitudes. In this session we will share effective approaches, frameworks and examples of how to promote a broad understanding and awareness of the changing Arctic and the related societal implications. The session will highlight effective strategies to inspire learners in both formal and informal learning contexts as well as communities. We also invite papers on effective ways of community engagement, co-design of educational and outreach activities, and fostering intergenerational or cross-cultural learning through Arctic Indigenous knowledge, science and observation.
Science Storytelling Series - Creating Virtual Tours with Infiniscope
January 25, 2024 | 10:00-11:00am AKT / 12:00-1:00pm MT / 2:00-3:00pm ET
The NNA-CO is hosting a series of virtual workshops on science storytelling, culminating in a presentation of stories at the NNA Annual Community Meeting in March 2024. This meeting with focus on creating virtual tours. Infiniscope will cover tips and lessons learned as well as demonstrate examples of virtual tours from a community-based project in Hawaii and Polar Explorer.
Register here. View the series webpage here.
Science Storytelling Series - Crafting StoryMaps
February 2024 (Exact date/time TBD)
In this workshop we’ll introduce you to ArcGIS StoryMaps which allows you to share your maps in the context of narrative text and other multimedia content.
View the series webpage here.
Registration coming soon.
Past Events
Science Storytelling Series - Facilitating Community Stories
September 14, 2023
The NNA-CO education & outreach team hosted this engaging webinar, where participants had the chance to practice how to facilitate community storytelling through hands-on activities. Lesson plans and techniques were shared to help build participants' engagement and outreach toolbox.
Webinar recording available soon.
Science Storytelling Series - Creating Stories that Stick
July 19, 2023
The NNA-CO is hosting a series of virtual workshops on science storytelling, culminating in a presentation of stories at the NNA Annual Community Meeting in March 2024. This event helped attendees find a compelling ‘hook’ to draw audiences into the story they want to tell. Lianna Nixon, award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and climate science educator, guided participants through the process of finding that hook and creating ‘stories that stick.’
View webinar resources and recording here.
NNA Learn & Connect Series - Storytelling Webinar
April 27, 2023
In coordination with StoryCenter, the NNA-CO offered Part 1 of a Storytelling Workshop Series that provided an introduction to storytelling and utilizing story as a method for sharing and communicating science. This webinar focused an introduction to storytelling and ethics of storytelling.
Handouts: StoryCenter Ethical Practice, The Seven Steps of Digital Storytelling, Redirecting the Gaze: Film Education in an Individualistic Era, Partnerships for Social Change in the Canadian North: Revisiting the Insider–Outsider Dialectic, Digital Storytelling: Engaging Youth in Traditional Knowledge and Community Health Using Digital Media
NNA Learn & Connect Series
January 25, 2023
The NNA-CO hosted an Inclusive Mentoring Workshop where participants learned about how to build a more inclusive research environment, foster meaningful relationships, and build support networks.
View the meeting resources and recording.
NNA Learn & Connect Series
November 2, 2022
The NNA-CO hosted a Learn and Connect series meeting which focused on different mediums for communicating your research with Arctic communities. A panel of communication experts discussed when and how to use newsletters, local media, podcasts, and StoryMaps. The panelists included Heather McFarland, science communication manager at International Arctic Research Center, Rod Boyce, public information officer at the Geophysical Institute, Karli Tyance Hassell, Indigenous Engagement Coordinator at Alaska Pacific University, and Mike DeLue, science communicator at International Arctic Research Center.
View the meeting slides and recording.
Broader Impacts Network Meeting
August 31, 2022
The NNA-CO invited NNA researchers to the Broader Impacts Network (BIN) collaboration accelerator. The group used the Topia platform to break out into small groups facilitated by NNA project leaders. Groups were organized by geographic region and research interests across diverse knowledge systems and career levels. The focus of these breakout groups was to explore ways to leverage resources and efforts across projects.
Broader Impacts Network Meeting
April 27, 2022
The NNA-CO hosted a Broader Impacts Network (BIN) meeting on April 27, 2022, which focused on effective ways to use social media in broadening the reach of research and connecting with Arctic communities. A panel of communication experts discussed utilization of social media for sharing research with Arctic communities, impactful and culturally-relevant messaging, and actionable and tangible communication strategies. Panelists included Alice Glenn, Coffee and Quaq host and Alaska Native Media Group journalist, Sara Eckert, Communications from the Office of Polar Programs National Science Foundation, and Kristin Timm, expert in science and environmental communication from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Access the meeting resources here.
Arctic Educators Fair
February 16, 2022
The NNA-CO hosted a virtual Arctic Educators Fair on February 16, 2022. This year's fair focused on Alaska, with outreach fairs with an international focus planned for future years. The goal of this event was to help disseminate great ideas in education, learning products (curricula, videos, learning activities), or opportunities for student or educator engagement (REU, RET, community science, meet-the-scientist video calls, etc.) produced by NNA project teams.
View the recorded flash talks and resources here.
Arctic Outreach Fair - Alaska Forum on the Environment
February 8, 2022
The NNA-CO hosted a virtual NNA Arctic Outreach Fair that took place as part of the Alaska Forum on the Environment. The goal of this event was to share NNA projects with community members across Alaska to encourage new connections and community engagement.
View the recorded flash talks and resources here.
Who We Are
The NNA-CO Education and Outreach team is located at CU Boulder and UAF and supports all NNA projects.