The PolarPODibus is no ordinary bus. Designed as a mobile scientific outreach workshop, it has been traveling across France since 2023 to introduce young people to the Polar POD expedition, ocean sciences, and climate issues.
Its principle is simple: bringing science to where it doesn’t always reach. The bus travels to academies throughout France, with particular attention to rural areas and institutions far from major scientific centers. In two years, it has already visited more than 10 academies, nearly 130 institutions, and organized over 450 activities. In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 students were able to discover the Polar PODibus and experience a unique scientific immersion.
Thanks to these workshops, students of all levels immerse themselves in a multidisciplinary project, a source of inspiration and concrete learning. Models, experiments, videos, quizzes, and hands-on activities allow students to step into the shoes of Polar POD explorers and scientists. The ePOD, a 3D digital replica of the vessel, completes the experience: one can virtually explore the station, understand its scientific instrumentation, and follow its expedition in real time.
The PolarPODibus is also a tool for inclusion. Through its content and its desire to reach all types of education and all territories, it is an ode to science for all, to equal opportunities, and to environmental commitment. In 2024, the analysis of visited institutions showed a high proportion of activities in remote or socially vulnerable areas, confirming the bus’s mission: to make science an adventure shared by all.
The program has been successful: it is supported by both the academies, the Ministry of National Education, and a growing number of partners. Since 2025, it has also been supported by the Ministry of Ecological Transition thanks to its “La Mer en Commun” label.
For students, the PolarPODibus is much more than a school activity: it is an encounter with exploration, a discovery of the researcher’s profession, and an invitation to engage with the major environmental issues of today and tomorrow.
