Secondary school teachers from Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, Novodvinsk, Kotlas, and Ustyany took part in a conference on the methodology of teaching the Arctic Studies course at schools in the region. The study program for first-to-fourth-year students and an accompanying manual has been drawn up by the Russian Arctic National Park‘s specialists The course has been taught at secondary schools in the Arkhangelsk Region as an auxiliary discipline since 2020.

“The teachers responded keenly to the conference. Many asked how they could visit the Arctic Mission Visitors Center, where artifacts brought from the Arctic are on display. Teachers were also glad to learn that the National Park had prepared numerous videos – lectures, clips, and films – posted on the Russian Arctic channel in YouTube,” National Park Director Alexander Kirilov said. 

Classes for teachers are part of career enhancement training offered by the Archangelsk Regional Open Education Institute.

“We have received a lot of new local history knowledge. We have also mastered specific skills and methods involved in teaching the Arctic Studies course.  This discipline is a hot item at our school. Starting from next year, we will test the new methods on first-year students, who will learn the Arctic ABC,” Natalya Viricheva, who teaches at Secondary General Education School #2 in the city of Kotlas, said.

At the end of 2021, the National Park will sum up the results of the implementation of the Arctic Studies project in the region’s schools.