This is a symposium proposal to host a Polar Fair at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore April 4-5, 2009. This is a special symposium, building on the International Polar Weekend events hosted at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in 2007 and 2008. The Baltimore Polar Fair is associated with the 50th Antarctic Treaty Meeting. The interactive Polar Fair will bring together approximately 35 IPY research scientists and educators to share their research with the general public through hands-on interactive activities. The program is one component of a larger suite of weekend events, including NASA's "Frozen" Science on a Sphere, The Antarctic Artists display, and Polar-Palooza. Polar Fair participants will include representatives from native Arctic cultures, historical figures in polar research, as well as the most up to date equipment and science techniques being used in polar research through the International Polar Year. The format allows and encourages people to learn in several different ways: passive listening and viewing as well as one-on-one question and answer, demonstrations, and personal participation. Through the event, the public will gain an appreciation for the rich history of polar research and exploration, as well as the wide range of science research being conducted in both the Arctic and the Antarctic.
