The proposed Cryospheric Connection to Understanding Climate Change will demonstrate that educational activities paralleling NASA's climate research on the cryosphere are naturally suited for incorporating research-based best practice methods to engage minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Cryospheric Connection will (1) create long-duration professional development that targets students from minority populations underrepresented in the NASA workforce; (2) infuse NASA data from space, suborbital, and ground-based platforms into classroom instruction; and (3) develop classroom resources that help minority students build foundational NASA workforce skills.