This August, Students on Ice (SOI), an award-winning educational organization, will be leading a momentous youth expedition to the Arctic. With 75 international students, between the ages of 14-18, this journey will create an incredible forum for learning, discovery and discussion. Traveling through the Canadian Arctic aboard a polar icebreaker, students on this endorsed International Polar Year Youth expedition will have the opportunity to learn under leading polar scientists and experience the Arctic through their own eyes. With hands-on activities and a focus on Earth Science, Flora, Fauna and Climate Change, this expedition will give a fresh, polar perspective on our planet. Though the departure date is rapidly approaching, a few spots are still availabl...

The EDGE educational foundation promotes vocational learning throughout UK. As its contribution to IPY project 343 it launched the ICE-Edge competition in January 2007 in which teams of schoolchildren aged 13-17 from 10 regions in England and Wales submitted project ideas for tackling issues of climate change and environmental problems. The prize - a once in a lifetime trip to Svalbard to see for themselves the changing Arctic environment, meet polar researchers and get involved in polar projects. The response was fantastic with well over 2000 entries submitted and from these entries 37 teams were selected to appear in a Grand Final held on 5th May at Imperial College, London. A team of expert judges (including Cynan Ellis-Evans from the IPY International...

Argentina invites artists to contribute to the electronic exhibition of the Interpolar Poetic Art Gallery. Argentina will host an "Interpolar Poetic Art" Gallery during May as a pre-launch for the Interpolar Poetic Art Post Card Project at the Dreamland Pub, in Ushuaia. We would be very happy to hear from any other polar artists or projects who would like to participate with their art work. After the artistic and cultural exchange pre-launch actions, the project will consist of a Multimedia Exchange Installation, inspired by environmental phenomena, and an open proposal on raising awareness and comprehension about the polar areas and their fundamental role in th...

Arctic Connection is a culinary project to be launched at the end of May. It is a co-production between executive chef Ben Hardeman from Le Meridien Hotel "Des Indes" and artist Ap Verheggen. The International Polar Year of 2007 and 2008 will draw more attention towards the Arctic and her inhabitants. This project is an innovating collaboration between the Dutch artist Ap Verheggen and chef Ben Hardeman. It is built out of two components; the design of the tableware and the unique composition of the menu. Both are inspired by the recent Arctic situation. It has resulted in one of the leading culinary-art pr...

The Midnight Sun Dialogue on Climate Change International environmental ministers will meet for The Midnight Sun Dialogue on Climate Change, an informal discussion meeting, at Riksgr

To: ICSU/WMO IPY Project Leaders REF: The SCAR/IASC International Scientific Organizing Committee request input from ICSU/WMO IPY science program leaders regarding the content of the science program. From 8-11 July, 2008; the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) will jointly sponsor the third Open Science Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia. The SCAR Open Science Conference is rapidly becoming a marquee event for the presentation and exchange of the latest developments in polar science. The previous two Conferences included on average 1000 participants and ~600 oral and poster presentations. Numerous workshops, meetings, planning efforts, and events occur in the margins of the meetings....

Contents: 1. Introduction to Monthly Reports 2. Information and Resources on the IPY web site 3. SCAR/IASC Open Science Conference, July 2008 4. Youth Networks FROM: IPY International Programme Office TO: IPY Project Coordinators 1. Introduction Several project coordinators have expressed a desire for more communication from the IPY Office. This IPY Report conveys (we hope) useful and timely information to the Coordinators of each of the IPY Projects. We welcome suggestions for content and improvement. We will send this by direct email from IPO using a Google Group, approximately monthly. Project Coordinators should redistribute these reports among the...

Take a once in the life opportunity to volunteer in the Summer polar school in the heart of the Russian Arctic! The International Polar Year International Polar school aims to rejuvenate people, to promote and support IPY initiatives and projects with a special focus on youth, tourism, education and outreach. It welcomes active participation of youth, educators, researchers. The school is an annual event which usually brings together more than 150 participants. Date: 24-31 July, 2007 Application deadline: May, 15 Place: Salekhard, Yamal-Nenets district, Russia Event name: IPY International Polar School Qualifications: Must be at least 21 years old by summer 2007 Previous leadership experience

One of the tasks of the endorsed project "Enhancing the environmental legacy of the IPY in Antarctica" is to look at the cumulative environmental impacts of the IPY. So far, the IPY Joint Committee has endorsed 99 projects with Antarctic or bipolar focus. These projects encompass at least 350 research activities, of which 82% plan to conduct fieldwork in Antarctica. Of these activities, 105 (37%) are planning to leave behind physical infrastructure. A large amount of activity has been planned around existing centers of research (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula, Dronning Maud Land); a number of large-scale research activities has also been planned in areas which have, so far, been seldom visited (e.g., the Gamburtsev Mountains, subglacial lakes). Many of them...

The current issue of the Canada Foundation for Innovation's online magazine, appropriately titled InnovationCanada.ca focuses on IPY and features an essay on "Securing An IPY Legacy" by David Hik, Executive Director, Canadian IPY Secretariat and Ian Church, Chair, Canadian IPY National Committee. The essay gives an overview of Canadian involvement with past IPYs and how the $150 million that the Canadian Government has dedicated to this IPY is having a ripple effect throughout the north. There is also a painful story written by Susan Aglukark entitled "...