LATITUDE60! is the Portuguese Program for education during the International Polar Year. It is directed to all levels of education to reach every age group, from early childhood to adulthood. The program was launched at the Geographical Society of Lisbon on the 5 July 2006 but various presentations of the program will be carried out through the country, including Azores Islands until October 2006.
The main objectives of this program is to educate all generations about the polar regions, provide examples of the high quality science the Portuguese has been carrying out in collaboration with other countries and engage young students to polar research. A collaboration with associations caring for children with a disability or with any special needs, is also being implemented. There is also strong collaboration with schools, universities, and educational institutions such as Lisbon Oceanarium and Zoomarine, Algarve.
The schools that belong to LATITUDE60! will have a "WEEK OF THE POLAR REGIONS" that will take place in March 2007 ( planned for the first week). Each school will have exhibitions about the polar regions and produce a competition (sub-divided for each education level) at various subjects:
a) Posters
b) Reports
c) Scientific experimentation
d) Arts (sculture, paintings, music, photography)
At a national level, a conference will take place later in the year (June-July 2007) to judge the best students work on polar subjects. In 2008, the best works will be taken to the Youth Steering Committee Conference.
During the IPY numerous activities will take place. These include:
- "Ask the scientist". Portuguese scientists will give answers to children´s question directly from the Polar regions.
- Seminars provided by polar scientists in schools, universities and educacional institutions
- Theatre play
- Exhibitions
Free material will be provided to schools via internet:
- Powerpoint presentations about polar subjects
- Photography database with comments on-line;
- E-learning platform forum on Latitude60! subjects (ideal for school teachers to raise queries) Follow this link(under projectos)
- Educational package to the different levels of education
- Program "Portugal in the last glaciation": fieldwork sessions in the largest continental portuguese mountain "Serra da Estrela"
- Regular scientific support
At present (July 2006), we are focused on promoting LATITUDE60! to all schools and Universities in the country.
Text by Jose Xavier
