Date

Dear Colleague,

The Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) Program is
seeking active K-12 science and social science teachers who have a strong
interest in bringing exciting current research to their students and
colleagues!

Through the TEA Program, teachers journey to polar regions to participate
in field research. The TEA teacher works closely with scientists, is
involved in cutting-edge science, and is immersed in the process of
science. Enveloping this field experience are professional development
opportunities through which TEA teachers increase content knowledge,
enhance teaching skills, transfer the experience to the classroom, assume
leadership roles, and collaborate with a network of researchers and
education colleagues.

The TEA Program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation's (NSF)
Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE) in the
Directorate for Education and Human Resources and the Office of Polar
Programs (OPP). TEA is facilitated by Rice University of Houston, Texas,
the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) of Hanover,
New Hampshire, and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) of New
York, New York.

Applications are available at http://tea.rice.edu (select "apply").
Applications for the TEA 2001/2002 field season must be post-marked by 15
May 2000. Eligible applicants must be certified in their field of
teaching and employed in a K-12 public, private or parochial school in the
United States or a territory of the United States. Minorities applicants
especially are encouraged.

We invite you share the Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic
Program with your teaching colleagues. Interested teachers are encouraged
to explore the TEA Web page (http://tea.rice.edu), visit the TEA Booth at
NSTA (#1250) and to apply.

Thank you for your assistance in distributing information about this
research experience professional development opportunity to your teaching
colleagues.

Dr. Debra Meese
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

Dr. Stephanie Shipp
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Rice University

Dr. Clarice Yentsch
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
and the American Museum of Natural History