Stay frosty: Antarctic science for kids, reviewed by kids

12 August 2024

To mark National Science Week, Hobart scientists have presented a special collection of articles about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to Libraries Tasmania.

What makes this collection different is that the 23 articles written by scientists were reviewed by a worldwide network of more than 50 young people aged between 9 and 14 years old.

The initiative is the brainchild of Dr Pat Wongpan, a sea-ice scientist from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership at the University of Tasmania.

“I wanted to find a way to link young minds with scientific experts and spark interest in studying Antarctica and the Southern Ocean,” he said.

“Antarctica and the Southern Ocean play crucial roles in the global climate system and the health of the planet, which is why we urgently need to understand how the region is changing.”

“To protect Antarctica and the Southern Ocean is to protect our future on this planet, and I figure that’s particularly important for young people.”

The online collection is published by the journal Frontiers for Young Minds, which specialises in providing high-quality, plain-language articles about cutting-edge science. So far it has been viewed more than 180,000 times.

The articles were written by 80 scientists from around the world, a quarter of them at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS).

Patrick Gregory, Executive Director of Libraries Tasmania, said the library network was delighted to receive 20 printed copies of the digital collection from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership for use by schools and young people.

“Libraries Tasmania is very pleased to support our Tasmanian scientific community and their research. The collection is an innovative example of how we can work with young people to grow knowledge and interest in science.”

“Libraries are creative spaces that support lifelong learning and curiosity. That’s why we’re proud to support Frontiers for Young Minds and their efforts to inspire and support a new generation of scientists,” Mr Gregory said.

The collaboration between Children’s University and Pat Wongpan started last year with an exhibition about Antarctic and Southern Ocean science leading to young students making their own videos with the UTAS Media School in a school holiday program.

Georgia Sutton from Children’s University Tasmania at the Peter Underwood Centre welcomed the Antarctic science initiative for inspiring young people and nurturing their curiosity.

“After gaining science communication skills last year, it’s fantastic to see our Children’s University students reconnect with Pat and his team. The children and their families were excited to join the launch and dive back into the incredible learning opportunities provided by these inspiring scientists.”

“At Children’s University, our goal is to illuminate pathways for young people, and to foster confidence and curiosity. We achieve this through strong partnerships with exceptional people like Pat at IMAS and Libraries Tasmania and the incredible learning opportunities they offer,” Ms Sutton said.

The Frontiers for Young Minds collection is available to read and download, as individual articles and as a full eBook, from the Antarctica and the Southern Ocean homepage, and Libraries Tasmania will make printed eBook copies permanently accessible in libraries throughout Tasmania.