01.03.2013 Views

International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Fig. 4.1-1. Participants<br />

at the Strasbourg<br />

meeting.<br />

(Photo: Karen Edwards)<br />

484<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

attended one or more of these meetings to provide<br />

additional input and perspectives.<br />

The EOC Action Plan<br />

The EOC Action Plan called for a high-impact global<br />

campaign to increase polar awareness, targeted at<br />

key sectors with key messages. This plan served as<br />

the basis for EOC decisions and work throughout IPY<br />

<strong>2007–2008</strong>, although it was modified and refined as<br />

time progressed and needs changed.<br />

From the varied IPY themes and goals the<br />

Subcommittee eventually distilled one simple key<br />

message: <strong>Polar</strong> Science - Global Impact. This was further<br />

subdivided into three main priorities:<br />

• Shrinking snow and ice: Rapid change in the polar<br />

regions<br />

• Global linkages: Interactions between the poles<br />

and the rest of the Earth<br />

• Neighbours in the North: Living in the Arctic, and<br />

human impacts in the polar regions<br />

For target audiences, the Subcommittee decided to<br />

focus primarily on information providers who would<br />

transmit their learning on to others. These included:<br />

• teachers in both formal and non-formal settings<br />

• media officers and science journalists<br />

• undergraduates, graduate students and early<br />

career polar scientists<br />

• IPY researchers<br />

The original Action Plan also included decision makers,<br />

tourists, Northern communities, artists and writers<br />

as important audiences. Due to limited resources (both<br />

financial and human), the Subcommittee had to set priorities<br />

and chose not to target these groups directly.<br />

EOC Working Groups<br />

The Bremerhaven meeting (2006) also provided<br />

the initial focus and energy for the establishment of<br />

effective working groups who would be responsible<br />

for carrying out specific tasks. The working groups<br />

included members of the EOC Subcommittee, as<br />

well as other interested educators, communicators,<br />

artists and researchers of the Association of <strong>Polar</strong> Early<br />

Career Scientists (APECS, Chapter 4.3). Working group<br />

membership was fluid and the groups continually<br />

evolved and changed throughout the IPY period in<br />

order to adapt to the varying needs and priorities.<br />

The groups kept in contact with each other through<br />

a combination of regular conference calls, Skype calls,<br />

emails and Google Groups.<br />

Formal Education<br />

This group included professionals from primary<br />

through tertiary education who would be responsible<br />

for the selection and promotion of educational

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!