To learn more about the PolarPODibus and how to host it in your classroom.
Download the brochure:
Find the Polar POD and PolarPODibus project on Eduscol:
Key Figures
– 433 institutions made aware since launch
– +28,000 students met across all educational levels, from primary school to high school
– 12 academies covered in 83 weeks of touring
– 1,081 science outreach sessions conducted on board
– three academic years
– 100% mobile: an itinerant educational space that reaches out to the public
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.
Through these workshops, students of all levels immerse themselves in a multidisciplinary project, a source of inspiration and hands-on learning. Models, experiments, videos, quizzes, and hands-on activities allow students to step into the shoes of the explorers and scientists of the Polar POD. The ePOD, a 3D digital replica of the ship, completes the experience: it allows for virtual exploration of the station, understanding its scientific instrumentation, and following 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.
Pour les élèves, le PolarPODibus est bien plus qu’une activité scolaire : c’est une rencontre avec l’exploration, une découverte du métier de chercheur, et une invitation à s’approprier les grandes questions environnementales d’aujourd’hui et de demain
