Children in Kent will be the first to take part in a unique educational project to link schools in Britain with those in the Arctic. The project, called "Arctic Voice", aims to teach children at both primary and secondary level about the effects of climate change and the impact it is having on the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of the Arctic.

Schools will be linked through the Internet, allowing children in Kent and elsewhere in the UK the opportunity to talk directly to Inuit school children in Greenland and Arctic Canada, and so begin a dialogue between their communities. The project is supported by Jonathon Porritt, the head of the government's sustainable development commission, who described it as "inspirational".

The "Arctic Voice" schools project is being launched in Kent at an event on 23rd March at Chiddingstone Castle, near Sevenoaks. Children from local primary schools will take part in a day of workshops to learn more about the Arctic, its people and the effects of climate change. Activities will include Art, Science, Geography, Drama, Music and Media Studies. The workshops are being organised by Tonbridge Grammar School, which is acting as a lead school for the project. It has devised an educational pack for students and teachers to support the topics covered in the workshops. Another local secondary school, Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar, is also involved and is running the Art workshops.

Tonbridge Grammar School Assistant Headteacher Mr Fitt says: "Arctic Voice is a fantastic opportunity for schools around the country to come together to promote the important message of global change, which faces our Planet today."
The Arctic Voice Primary School Launch will be the introduction of collaborative working between Primary and Secondary Schools in order to develop multi-cultural events, workshops, lessons and projects within schools. Schools will be able to share project work and discuss climate change issues after the event. We hope, at Tonbridge Grammar School, to maintain communication links with many schools by pioneering the use of video conferencing, e-communication and further events within schools unable to take part in the first event.
The schools twinning project has been devised by Kent businessman Glenn Morris as part of the Arctic Voice expedition 2007/2008 in which a three-man British team will travel over 2,000 miles through the Arctic by sea kayak to document through recorded interviews how climate change is affecting the Inuit. They have chosen to travel by sea kayak, the traditional craft of the Inuit, to ensure the expedition is as carbon neutral as possible. Mr Morris, who has travelled extensively in the Arctic, will lead the team as they make their way through the historic and challenging North West Passage, the first time a British team have made such a journey.



Arctic Voice Expedition 2007/2008 www.arcticvoice.org media enquiries: 07745 137458 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Patrons: Sir Christopher Bonington CBE; Paul Okalik, Premier of Nunavut; Dr James P. Delgado, FRGS, Director of Vancouver Maritime Museum
The team will begin the first stage of the expedition in June 2007. During the journey they will visit the schools taking part in the educational project as ambassadors from the UK to develop further the links between the schools. They will present each school with a welcome pack from their UK partner school, including a video message from the children. As the journey progresses, children in the UK will be able to keep up with events through the expedition website and the team's blog.

Glenn Morris, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, says:

"The Arctic is the world's early warning system. Time is running out for the Inuit whose entire way of life could disappear in just a few years if nothing is done to stop climate change."

"They have traditionally supported themselves through hunting but now they are experiencing dramatic changes to their environment as a direct result of the actions of the industrialised world."

Notes:
Arctic Voice is supported by: the Royal Geographical Society, the International Polar Year scientific research group, the British Library, Jonathon Porritt and Sir Chris Bonington.

Arctic Climate Change Facts

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average
Ice is melting sooner and freezing later and it’s thinner making hunting difficult and more dangerous.
The weather and winds are more unpredictable
An area of permanent sea ice equivalent to the size of the state of Texas has been lost in just one year (latest figures from NASA.)
Native animal species are leaving traditional feeding grounds

For more information go to:
Expedition website: www.arcticvoice.org
Media: Pippa Rose This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Expedition leader: Glenn Morris
Mobile: 07745 137458 Mobile: 07973 732069

Kent Schools Taking Part in the Arctic Voice Project:

Tonbridge Grammar School, Tonbridge, Kent
Contact: Assistant Headteacher Christopher Fitt: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Outreach Coordinator Charlotte Lane
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 01732 365125

Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Southfields Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Amherst Junior School, Riverhead, Kent
Chiddingstone CE Primary School, Chiddingstone, Kent.
Edenbridge Primary School, Edenbridge, Kent
Penshurst Primary School, Penshurst, Kent
St Johns CE Primary, Sevenoaks, Kent
St Lawrence CE Primary School, Stone Street, Kent


Arctic Voice Expedition 2007/2008 www.arcticvoice.org media enquiries: 07745 137458
Patrons: Sir Christopher Bonington CBE; Paul Okalik, Premier of Nunavut; Dr James P. Delgado, FRGS, Director of Vancouver Maritime Museum