Can a goldfish be trained to swim through hoops or dance to music? We asked kids between the ages of 10 and 14 to find out during our Marine Mammals of the Arctic Goldfish Training Contest. The contest was designed to give kids a taste of animal training. First, participants got training tips from our Beluga University online game and the Beluga Basic Training activity. They used the skills they learned to train a goldfish to do something interesting. Then they filmed the training process and outcome and submitted their videos online. We selected three grand prize winners to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration to take on the role of "Apprentice Beluga Trainer" during our Marine Mammals of the Arctic live webcast week to be held May 18-20, 2010. Each winner will work closely with Mystic Aquarium’s beluga whales and professional trainers during one of the live webcast days.

We would like to offer a big congratulations to the three winners:

• Payton Taylor from the Seacoast Science Center, Rye, New Hampshire
• Sawyer Pearson from the Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Vanessa McWilliams from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, Arizona

So, can goldfish learn new tricks? See what the winners have to say!

In order to join the Immersion Carbonrally league, you must first register as an individual Rallyer and then create or join a Carbonrally team. To start, visit Carbonrally's School Teams -- Guide to Getting Started page and follow Step 1 to register as an individual Rallyer. Please note that Carbonrally account holders must be at least 13 years of age. If you are younger than 13, you must work in a buddy system with an adult (for example a parent, teacher, or after-school leader) to register for and use Carbonrally. You will be the one who accepts and completes challenges, but your adult buddy must be the one to register for Carbonrally using his or her e-mail address. Once you are signed up as a Rallyer, follow Step 2 to create or join a Carbonrally team. A Carbonrally team can be a class of students, an after-school science Club, or any other group of kids who want to make a difference. Before creating a new team, read all of the directions in Step 2 to make sure your group has not already created a team. Step 3 explains how to start taking Carbonrally challenges.

To take your Carbonrally experience to the next level, your group's team can join the Immersion league and compete against other Immersion teams across North America! It's easy to join our league. Just have your Carbonrally team leader (the person who created your team) use the form to the right to send your team's information to Immersion. We will then add your team to the Immersion Carbonrally league. To see other teams participating in our league, check out the Immersion league page. Stay tuned for updates on exciting prizes that will go to the leading Carbonrally teams in the league. In the meantime, get started reducing your carbon footprint!

Tundra Buggy™ One makes the world's coolest classroom (-20° F outside) and will be available to all Immersion participants on November 10 via live webcasts from the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba!

Polar Bears International is providing live webcasts this fall to sites around the world. PBI has generously agreed to provide two special webcasts for Immersion sites on November 10 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm EST. Our programs will feature polar bear researcher Dr. Tom Smith, whose work is also featured in the new Marine Mammals of the Arctic Adventure Series. The focus for both programs will be on polar bears and climate change.

What: Polar Bear Live Webcasts

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Time: 1 pm to 2 pm EST and 5 pm to 6 pm EST

How to Access: To join a webcast, visit Polar Bears International's Tundra Connections webpage  on November 10 and click on the link to participate (it is recommended that participants do this approximately ten minutes prior to the actual webcast)

Viewers will be asked to submit questions in advance, by November 9, so we can send them on to Polar Bears International for our webcasts. Submit your questions using the form on the Immersion website.

To help prepare for the webcasts, click here  for a special online curriculum created by Polar Bears International. The multimedia curriculum targets secondary schools and universities, but can be adapted to elementary or middle school students.

Special Technology Note: You will need the most updated version of Apple's Quicktime to watch the webcasts. Download QuickTime for free here .

Join Immersion in 2009–2010 as we explore the Arctic and the marine mammals that call it home. The vast and relatively unexplored Arctic is undergoing many changes, and researchers around the globe are working with native communities to gather information on how these changes might impact marine mammals and the humans who depend on them for survival.