Polar Places and Spaces, or PolarPASS, is designed to bring polar environments into the classroom, allowing students to explore extreme environments and connect with new and seemingly distant places. Earth's polar environments are undergoing rapid change during the 21st century and the U. S. and National Science Foundation have made substantial investments in polar research, generating new data and insights. PolarPASS leverages these research investments to support students in developing a sense of polar places from distant classrooms.

Using interactive 360-degree interactive environments and Geographic Information System (GIS) data, along with more traditional learning resources, PolarPASS provides a science-based curriculum that immerses students in unique polar locations and brings them up close and personal with Earth science data and field locations.

This article from December 2023 on the NSIDC website gives an overview of the PolarPASS origin and purpose.

Expand your polar teaching! Enjoying using PolarPASS modules and looking for more polar-focused education materials to use in your classroom? Consider the GETSI modules on Ice Mass and Sea Level Changes or Understanding Our Changing Climate: Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Level.

The PolarPASS team is excited to address your questions and hear about your experience using PolarPASS material. Please reach out to us at polarpass@colorado.edu.