A programme of 220 science and outreach projects aimed at determining the environmental status of polar regions, improving projections of future changes affecting them, and to advance understanding of them. The IPY also aimed to educate and involve the public and to train the next generation of engineers and scientists. The IPY was conducted under the auspices of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and began on 1 March 2007.

http://www.ipy.org/ Explains and describes the IPY.