‘Nunalleq Digital Museum – An Accessible Resource for Learning about Yup’ik Pre-Contact History’ by Prof. Charlotta Hillerdal

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We live in a changing world. This could not be more obvious to the Yup’ik communities that were hit by the aftermaths of Typhoon Halong on October 12th – with disastrous consequences to people’s homes and lives. In the sorrow that follows this, it has become apparent what immediate threat climate change poses to the Yup’ik way of life.

In Quinhagak, the storm not only attacked boats and fish racks, water and sewage infrastructure, but also the ancestral site of Nunalleq, an Old Village dating back c 500 years, to a time before Europeans came to Alaska. It brought destruction to parts of the historic site, displacing thousands of artifacts on the beach.

Fig. 1. Wooden figurine on the beach, eroded from the Nunalleq site after Typhoon Halong, October 2025. Photo by Rick Knecht.

Continue reading ‘Nunalleq Digital Museum – An Accessible Resource for Learning about Yup’ik Pre-Contact History’ by Prof. Charlotta Hillerdal

‘Reviving Tradition: Building an Ulux̂tax̂ Aleut Canoe in False Pass’ by ACSA Staff

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False Pass, or Isanax̂ as it is known in traditional Aleut, sits on the eastern of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands region of Alaska. This past spring a remarkable project unfolded in that blended tradition, education, and community spirit. Thanks to a grant from the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association (APICDA), False Pass School welcomed two professional carpenters to lead a hands-on boat-building initiative. The goal? To construct an Ulux̂tax̂, a traditional two-person Aleut canoe, and in doing so, reconnect students and families with a vital piece of their cultural heritage. Continue reading ‘Reviving Tradition: Building an Ulux̂tax̂ Aleut Canoe in False Pass’ by ACSA Staff

‘History Has Never Not Been Important’ by Stephanie Meek

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Stephanie Meek is the 2025 Alaska James Madison Fellow

History has never not been important. Today is no exception. Students need history to understand the present as much as they need it to understand the past. The skills taught in history, specifically what we like to call “thinking like a historian,” teaches students to not just think critically, but it teaches them the purpose and importance of doing so. Learning history teaches students about contextualization, analyzing sources, continuity and change over time, cause/effect, how to make comparisons, and how to effectively develop an argument. All these skills transcend the discipline and are essential to all other areas of studies/subject matter. Today, students have more access to unverified resources than at any point in history and history classes provide students the skills needed to evaluate information (consider origin, purpose, content) and come to evidence-based conclusions. History reminds us that we are all connected and because of that fact, there is an intrinsic value in looking at multiple perspectives. All these components of learning history are why it is important for students to learn it. Continue reading ‘History Has Never Not Been Important’ by Stephanie Meek

‘The Alaska Arts Education Data Project’ by Sam Jordan

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It has been proven time and time again in countless studies that students who actively participate in arts education are twice as likely to read for pleasure, have strengthened problem-solving and critical thinking skills, are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair. -Quincy Jones

In‬ 2023‬ the‬ National‬ Endowment‬ for‬ the‬ Arts‬ and‬ Alaska‬ State‬ Council‬ on‬ the‬ Arts‬ awarded‬ funds‬ to‬ the‬ Alaska‬ Arts‬ Education‬ Consortium‬ to‬ investigate‬ what‬ was‬ happening‬ with‬ arts‬ education in Alaska.‬ Since that time, a cross-sector team of Alaskans, including educators, artists, Alaska Native culture bearers, legislators and health officials, has been working to get to the heart of the question: Which students, where in Alaska, and how are students in Alaska’s public schools experiencing arts education?

Student self-portraits from across the Lower Kuskokwim School District, Bethel, AK

Continue reading ‘The Alaska Arts Education Data Project’ by Sam Jordan

‘Alaska Youth Lead the Way: Six Honored for Positive Community Impact’ by Alaska Communications

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Across Alaska, young people are tackling real issues, like fighting food insecurity, advocating for mental health, expanding access to youth sports and the arts, and creating more inclusive communities.

This summer, through a program called Summer of Heroes, Alaska Communications and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska are recognizing six exceptional young Alaskans. Continue reading ‘Alaska Youth Lead the Way: Six Honored for Positive Community Impact’ by Alaska Communications

‘YKSD Creates Place-Based Math Task Database’ by Bobbi Jo Erb

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“…the Alaska Cultural and Alaska Mathematics Standards combine to create relevant, engaging, and rigorous math learning.”

How long does traveling from Allakaket to Hughes by snow-go vs. boat take? Why is the distance traveled different for these two situations? How much further to go by boat? These are the types of questions Yukon Koyukuk School District (YKSD) students will tackle in math classes as teachers begin using the YKSD Place-based Math Task database. YKSD educators developed this database during spring break Place-based Math workshops. Continue reading ‘YKSD Creates Place-Based Math Task Database’ by Bobbi Jo Erb

‘More Than a Stage: How the Shakesbears Elevate Learning in Kodiak’ by Dr. Cyndy Mika

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“Programs like DDF are not extracurricular—they are co-curricular. They are extensions of the learning that happens in our classrooms and exemplify what it means to educate the whole child.”

As Superintendent of the Kodiak Island Borough School District, I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand how our students grow—not just academically, but personally and socially—through the many opportunities our schools provide. Among the most inspiring examples of this holistic development is our Kodiak High School Drama, Debate, and Forensics (DDF) team, the Shakesbears.

Continue reading ‘More Than a Stage: How the Shakesbears Elevate Learning in Kodiak’ by Dr. Cyndy Mika

‘Alaska Heart Through Student Art Auction Celebrates its 10th Year!’ by Sam Jordan

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This month, the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) hosted the 10th Annual ‘Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art’ reception. The event, held in Juneau at the the Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Museum, is an annual statewide celebration and auction of student art from Alaska’s 53 school districts. Legislators, statewide educational leaders, teachers, and student artists came together to celebrate and support student artistic expression in Alaska.

Photo by Michael Penn

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‘New Free Resources for Teaching Alaska Civil Rights History’ by Alexander Roider

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“We’re hoping that the graphic novel and trading cards can serve as a resource for teachers in Alaska and help make kids excited about our unique civil rights history.”

In the spring of 1961, the citizens of Utqiaġvik were hungry. After a particularly poor whaling season, the migrating eiders appeared almost mana-like to families with empty larders. Yet when the first bird was taken, the hunter was immediately arrested by federal game wardens for violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The treaty had banned duck hunting in spring—the only time the bird was present in Alaska. Given the choice between prison and starvation, the villagers solicited the local magistrate, Sadie Neakok. Sadie was the first Alaska Native magistrate and worked to desegregate Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site. And, she had a plan.

That night, the best hunters of Utqiaġvik went out and fell as many eiders as they could. Sadie worked to distribute the harvest among the town. The next morning, as the game warden made his way to his office, he was greeted by a line of more than a hundred townsfolk, each with a bird in hand and asking to be arrested. Terrified of how to explain this to his superiors, the game warden ran to consult the best legal mind in town: Sadie Neakok. Sadie calmly began explaining the mountain of paperwork that would need to be filed, how many flights should be reserved to transport the hunters down to a Fairbanks jail, and the dozens of social workers that would need to be imported to address the hundreds of newfound parentless children. After some careful consideration and a national public outcry, the game warden chose to drop all charges. Utqiaġvik would not starve that year.

Continue reading ‘New Free Resources for Teaching Alaska Civil Rights History’ by Alexander Roider