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.
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.
NNA Research Experience for Undergraduate Students Program
The NNA-CO Education & Outreach team hosts an annual NNA Research Experience for Undergraduates Students Program for Alaska community college and university undergraduate students. Click here to learn more about the program, and check out past student participants here!
Upcoming Events
Please check back soon.
Past Events
Spring NNA Student Research Symposium
April 24, 2025
The NNA-CO hosted the 2025 student research showcase on April 24, featuring the 2025 NNA-CO undergraduate research students and other graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with NNA projects. In this showcase, students briefly presented their research, which was followed by Q&A with the audience.
Arctic Together Showcase at Alaska Forum on the Environment
February 6, 2025
The NNA-CO session at the Alaska Forum on the Environment showcased Alaska-based NNA projects that have direct and tangible benefits or research and education products relevant for Alaskan communities. Participants from throughout Alaska, including many of the environmental decision-makers and environmental monitoring professionals from rural villages, learned how the results from energy, infrastructure, environmental and social research being done through NNA are helping and how they could be put to use.
NNA-CO Learn & Connect: Inclusive Mentoring
January 23, 2025
Research has shown that students with mentoring relationships are happier, successful, and more likely to stay in their chosen career. In this workshop, Dr. Anne Gold (NNA-CO; University of Colorado Boulder) talked about how to build a more inclusive research environment and provided attendees with the tool to foster meaningful mentoring relationships and build support networks.
NNA-CO Arctic Climate Change and Community Collaborations Graduate Student Workshop
January 6-10, 2025
This workshop, which took place on the UAF Troth Yeddha' Campus and at the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, AK, oriented graduate students to core principles in community-based and collaborative Arctic research. Students examined their positionality, learned from Alaska Native Elders and scholars, became oriented with co-production of knowledge, and learned what responsible allyship looks like in research.
NNA-CO Learn & Connect: Scenario Storytelling
November 18, 2024
In this workshop, Dr. Katie Spellman (NNA-CO; University of Alaska Fairbanks) talked about scenario storytelling, an innovative model for citizen/community science developed as part of the Winterberry project. This model turns data into stories and pathways to action, engaging youth and the broader community. The workshop consisted of 30 minutes of interactive presentation with opportunities for audience participation, followed by Q&A.
NNA-CO Learn & Connect: Landscape of Tribal Communities
October 31, 2024
Arctic research is shifting to center Indigenous knowledge and co-production with communities and Tribes. This energy toward Arctic climate research and Indigenous priorities is both needed and taxing for Tribal communities in Alaska. Dr. Adelheid Herrmann has developed a guide to help researchers, academics, federal and state agencies working in rural Alaska understand the current landscape and complexities of Tribal communities. Dr. Herrmann shared her report and graphics to help attendees visualize the overwhelming number of external and internal forces that Tribes and Tribal members deal with daily, which was then followed by Q&A.
NNA Student Research Showcase
May 23, 2024
The NNA-CO hosted a virtual NNA student research showcase, which featured the 2023 NNA-CO undergraduate research students and other graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with NNA projects. In this showcase, the students briefly presented their research, which was followed by Q&A with the audience. Thank you to the students for their hard work, and to all attendees for supporting the next generation of Arctic researchers.
Science Storytelling Series - Creating Virtual Tours with Infiniscope
January 25, 2024
Throughout 20223 and early 2024, the NNA-CO hosted 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 focused on creating virtual tours. Infiniscope covered tips and lessons learned as well as demonstrated examples of virtual tours from a community-based project in Hawaii and Polar Explorer. View the series webpage here.
AGU Session on “Arctic Education & Outreach - Effective Ways of Engaging Diverse Learners in Arctic Science
December 13, 2023
The Navigating the New Arctic Community Office (NNA-CO) builds awareness, partnerships, opportunities, and resources for collaboration and equitable knowledge generation within, between, and beyond the research projects funded by NSF’s Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Initiative. This presentation reviewed how the NNA-CO incorporates a focus on equity and inclusion in its values, architecture, governance, and activities, reflecting critically on the challenges confronting collaborative and co-production research within NNA.
Science Storytelling Series - Filmmaking Workshop
November 15, 2023
The NNA-CO hosted a filmmaking workshop with producer, script writer, videographer, and editor Dr. Ryan Vachon (Provare Media) for a 90-minute filmmaking workshop. Workshop attendees learned about project mission statements, storyboards, camera and audio gear, and basic editing techniques.
View the science storytelling series webpage here.
NNA Student Research Showcase
November 6, 2023
The NNA-CO hosted a virtual NNA student research showcase, which featured the 2023 NNA-CO undergraduate research students and other graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with NNA projects. Eleven students shared their work. In this showcase, the students briefly presented their research, which was followed by Q&A with the audience. Thank you to the students for their hard work, and to all attendees for supporting the next generation of Arctic researchers.
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.