Using International Polar Days to Engage and Experiment with Science - Outreach Partnerships in IPY

The International IPY Education, Outreach, and Communication Committee developed quarterly International Polar Days in response to pressure from educators and media wishing to remain involved in IPY, throughout IPY. Between September 2007 and March 2009 these events focus on aspects of polar research that are both specific enough to allow depth of understanding, but also broad enough to highlight the interconnectivity of polar science. Each day has experimented with different communication tools including multilingual activity and summary sheets, live radio and web events, press releases, local lectures and engagement at conferences. A virtual balloon launch helps us to assess our reach and develop plans for the next event. The talk will present an evaluation from the balloon launch as well as lessons learnt from activities that had varying degrees of success.