EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION

Polar Aspect are passionate about raising awareness and understanding of the Arctic amongst youth. We aim to inspire secondary-school pupils and university students to learn more about the Arctic, its special challenges, and the peoples who call it home.

With these goals in mind, we created the world’s only Model Arctic Council conferences for secondary-school pupils, and we also design and run Model Arctic Council for undergraduate students. These innovative experiential learning programmes bring pupils and students together to consider up-to-the-minute Arctic issues, and to hone their skills at persuasion, negotiation and consensus-building, as they play the roles of diplomats attending a simulated cycle of Arctic Council meetings. In addition to Model Arctic Council, we also visit schools and universities to offer guest teaching about Arctic issues.

Our educational work is grounded in actual practice. Polar Aspect’s Founding Principal, Dr Anthony Speca, is a secondary-school teacher at Norwich School, an Honorary Lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and an Honorary Fellow of the Scottish Association for Marine Science. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at Trent University in Canada, and the Managing Director of the UArctic Læra Institute for Circumpolar Education, an institute that he helped to establish.

MODEL ARCTIC COUNCIL

Since 2016, Polar Aspect have created, launched and continue to manage the following online and in-person Model Arctic Council (MAC) programmes:

MAC Bilbao , in collaboration with Colegio Ayalde (Spain)
MAC London , in collaboration with Alleyn’s School (UK) and Institut St Dominique (France)
NORMAC Schools , in collaboration with Norwich School (UK)
NORMAC University , in collaboration with the University of East Anglia (UK) and Trent University (Canada)
OMAC , online worldwide
OMAC Delegate Training , online worldwide
SCOTMAC , in collaboration with the Scottish-Arctic Network (UK) and Trent University (Canada)
TRYKOMAC , in collaboration with Trent University (Canada) and Yukon University (Canada)
WYCOMAC , in collaboration with Wycombe Abbey (UK)

In addition to these stand-alone MAC programmes, Polar Aspect have facilitated a number of ‘mini-MACs’ embedded as part of various undergraduate courses at Trent University (Canada).

GUEST TEACHING

Polar Aspect are enthusiastic about bringing the Arctic into the classroom. Polar Aspect Founding Principal Dr Anthony Speca has appeared as a guest teacher at the following educational institutions:

Arctic State Agrotechnological University (Russia)
Scottish Association for Marine Science/University of Highlands and Islands (UK)
Trent University (Canada)
University of Northern British Columbia (Canada)
University of Oxford (UK)

Dr Anthony Speca is also available to visit primary and secondary schools to engage students with the Arctic- and climate-change-related themes. School visits include:

Abbeygate Sixth-Form College (UK)
Bramfield Primary School (UK)
Brampton Primary School (UK)
Norwich School (UK)
Ringsfield Primary School (UK)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

To get a better sense of the unique learning experience offered by Polar Aspect’s Model Arctic Council conferences, please visit the website of our flagship conference, Norwich Model Arctic Council  for schools and univeristy. You can also browse a record of our MACs and other educational engagements in our news feed. If you require any further information, or if you wish to discuss how Polar Aspect’s educational innovation can be of service to you or your organisation, please do not hesitate to contact us.