The old school year isn’t over yet, but there are already fantastic prospects for the new one: In September, our school will host an extraordinary event—a one-hour live radio contact with Neumayer Station III, the German research station in Antarctica!
“During this time, our students have the unique opportunity to speak directly with the scientists on site, ask questions, and gain insights into their exciting research in one of the most extreme regions on our planet,” reports Malte Klimczak, a teacher at Steinmühlen and the project leader.
Classes and courses can participate
Teachers are cordially invited to participate in this initiative with their classes or courses, to incorporate the topic into their lessons, and to prepare specific questions that students can then discuss live with the scientists.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with the DARC (German Amateur Radio Club), Marburg chapter. In the lead-up to the radio contact, interested students will also have the opportunity to explore radio technology both in theory and in practice.
“Radio Day” in Preparation
To help students prepare for the content, an overview of Neumayer Station III is available, which includes information on research areas such as climate research, geophysics, ozone and air analyses, penguin observation, and the EDEN-ISS greenhouse project, reports Malte Klimczak. The schedule has also been set: “The plan is to hold a ‘Radio Day’ during the week of September 15, during which interested students will set up and align the antenna, receive an introduction to the technology, and practice radio communication.”
Live Chat on September 24
Finally, on September 24, the live session with the station will take place, during which the students—who have practiced beforehand—will be able to speak with the station in real time and ask their questions.
According to Malte Klimczak, after summer break, the project will be discussed in the classes and, ideally, also covered in class, so that questions to be asked can be gathered.
