It has been a short year for Conference2Classroom, having only been founded a couple months ago! Taking an idea into action in and of itself is no easy feat. And in the short time we have been working hard and believe it is important to celebrate victories.

We have facilitated activities with three participating experts. Jacqueline Hung and Sarah McFadden were attending ArcticNet in Ottawa, ON, this month and spoke with grade 10 students at Brookfield High School. This of course was only after our inaugural activity, with Susan Willis Chan, who attended the Entomological Society of Canada/America Joint Meeting in Vancouver, BC, in October. This first activity was so important to us. We had proof of concept. It demonstrated the value in our vision.

Behind the scenes we have been working to become a legitimate non-profit organization. This is important as it will enable us to seek out funding, providing support to our participating experts and keeping the activities we facilitate free to participating schools. In the interim and at any time in the future, you can also support us by donating. A big thank you to those who have so far.

We have more planned for the future. And we cannot wait to see what new opportunities 2019 will bring.

Yesterday I put up a tiny tree and now I am in full holiday mode. When I was a kid, Christmas was all about getting presents and playing with those presents... and eating way too much good (edit: junk) food too. I still get excited about both, of course, but now I get equally excited about giving gifts and sharing experiences with the people I love. As an adult I also started giving to organizations, initiatives and causes that I believe in and whose work I appreciate (like The Narwhal, In Defense of Plants, 500 Women Scientists, among others).

And now that I am on the other side of this, I understand how important contributions are to be successful. And now having facilitated a handful of well received activities since coming into existence two short months ago, this is becoming increasingly apparent!

The services provided by Conference2Classroom are free to participating schools and classrooms. The experts attending conferences who register with us are volunteering their time.

But there are costs to organizing these events. There are transportation costs to get participating experts from conferences to schools - especially as we try to reach more rural or remote communities! We hope to design prizes for students and thank you gifts for our participating experts - because who doesn't like some free swag! There are promotional material costs (we now have a logo!), web hosting costs, and other operational and material costs of starting an ambitious organization like Conference2Classroom. One of our ambitions for the coming year is to develop a web series on science communication and deliver a workshop on how to do this effectively. This would benefit our participating experts and would serve to introduce more people to science communication.

If you are in a giving mood this holiday seasons and are looking for a new cause to support, please consider donating to Conference2Classroom! Your contribution helps us bring experts attending conferences across Canada to classrooms in the host city, and so much more too!

I find that time escapes me all too easily this time of year. This week has been no different and has flown by... largely due to my excitement in anticipation our second event. Tomorrow Jacqueline Hung and Sarah McFadden will be sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge with two classrooms at Brookfield High School. Jacqueline and Sarah have been in Ottawa this week attending ArcticNet and I am delighted that they have decided to engage with local students through Conference2Classroom while they are there.

Last week I introduced you to Jacqueline, and this week it is time to get to know Sarah better. Sarah is a permafrost researcher who studies climate change induced landscape changes in Nunavut, focusing on the relationship between subsurface water and land surface movement.

You can also follow Sarah on LinkedIn.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am a permafrost researcher investigating how landscapes in the Canadian High Arctic are changing in response to climate warming. I focus on studying hydrology and land surface change through field-based research.

How did you get here?

I have always had a passion for being outdoors, travelling, and learning about science. My background is in geology as I loved that this field gave me the opportunity to combine all of these areas. While in geology I was exposed to arctic research and realized an unexplored passion of mine. Geography offered a unique multi-disciplinary approach to researching with the chance to travel to and work in the Arctic.

What are you working on now?

I am researching the interconnection between what we see on the surface in High Arctic landscapes and what is going on in the subsurface. I study the connection between water and land surface and am trying to better understand how the landscapes and ground surfaces in the Arctic will change in the future.

Why is your work important?

My work will help predict how future water supplies in the Arctic will change with ground ice and permafrost thaw, which has implications for the global sea level. It also provides a better understanding of how to predict which areas will be most susceptible to future warming.

What advice would you give to a budding permafrost researcher?

I would say to follow your passions. If you have a passion for Arctic research, follow it and pursue your dreams. I would advise you to reach out and talk to people about what exactly arctic research looks like and the many possibilities that go along with it and get involved wherever you can!

For our second activity (yay!) we have two experts attending ArcticNet next week in Ottawa, ON, who have registered with us to participate in an outreach activity with two classrooms at Brookfield High School. This week we are featuring one of our two participating experts, Jacqueline Hung, a soil scientist who uses field techniques, lab experiments, and remote sensing to investigate changes in soil and plants as a result of climate change.

You can follow Jacqueline on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am a soil scientist that uses field techniques, lab experiments, and remote sensing to investigate changes in soil and plants as a result of climate change. My work is done primarily in the Canadian High Arctic in Nunavut.

How did you get here?

I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors, travelling, and doing hands-on activities. In high school, I had no idea what studying geography entailed and didn’t see it as an option for university studies. Lo and behold, after starting my undergraduate degree, I came to discover the world (pun intended) of geography courses that were available! I love that geography is so interdisciplinary and lends itself to many other disciplines. My Master’s was when I started honing in on what my interests really were and that’s when I got hooked on Arctic research through my supervisor.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently looking at the relationship between soil nutrients, plant growth, and greenhouse gas fluxes in Arctic ecosystems.

Why is your work important?

My work will help scientists understand and predict Arctic contributions to the global climate system as a result of greenhouse gas release. These results will also help policy makers develop strategies to help mitigate the anticipated change as a result of climate change.

What advice would you give to a budding arctic soil scientist/permafrost researcher?

Start early! I knew I always enjoyed hands-on experiences and sought out research opportunities early as a high schooler. Seek these opportunities out and you never know where it will take you!