‘One Health: Onward & Upward’ by Amanda Montavon


Everyone deserves to live the healthiest life possible, but health and well-being depend on many factors. Our individual health is impacted by the health of our community, the health of animals and the health of the environment. This holistic approach of recognizing the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health is a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach to wellbeing known as One Health. Continue reading ‘One Health: Onward & Upward’ by Amanda Montavon

‘Sandwich Project Brings Together Community Around Student Food Security’ by Carmen Pell

Totes of weekend food await to be transported to the nine schools supported by the Sandwich Project.

In November 2018, a Palmer High School (PHS) student, Zoe Nelles, was struck by a realization that her peers may not have weekend food security. Zoe took the initiative and reached out to a PHS teacher for help, and from there the PHS Sandwich Project began. In the beginning stages of the project, Zoe would make PBJ sandwiches in her home and used donated non-perishable food items to fill the bags. The first week 7 food bags were delivered to students on a Friday afternoon. Zoe continued to spear head the program for 2 years, through the spring of 2020, when she graduated.

Through generous grants from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, The Food Bank of Alaska, and The Palmer Community Foundation, an affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation, the project continues to grow each year. This grant money was used to buy not only food items, but also to buy structural supplies to sustain the program, such as shelving and bins to properly store items as well as a freezer and refrigerator for perishable items. Continue reading ‘Sandwich Project Brings Together Community Around Student Food Security’ by Carmen Pell

The Our Alaskan Schools Blog Celebrates Its First Year! by Sam Jordan at ASDN

Highlighting and celebrating public education in Alaska is a privilege. Over the past year, the Our Alaskan Schools blog has hosted over 50 unique education stories from across Alaska, most written by educators themselves. To celebrate our first year, here is a brief recap of our ten most viewed stories about the ‘great things happening in Alaska’s schools’.

Continue reading The Our Alaskan Schools Blog Celebrates Its First Year! by Sam Jordan at ASDN

The ‘Love Alaska’ Project by Sarah Petersen and Lisa Longlet at Bowman Elementary School

We are an energetic group of fifty 3rd and 4th graders at Bowman Elementary School in the Anchorage School District who make up S & L’s (Sarah and Lisa’s) family group. Our ‘Alaska Love’ project is an activity for elders (grade 4 students) that allows them to share one of their special Alaskan experiences with our family group. While youngers (3rd graders) don’t present, they look forward to being an elder the following year and having their chance to share their special family memory. The academic focus of the project is writing a personal narratives, public speaking, and Alaska geography.  Continue reading The ‘Love Alaska’ Project by Sarah Petersen and Lisa Longlet at Bowman Elementary School

‘The Inspiring Art of Alaska’s Schools’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN

Seal and Salmon Art Installation at Juneau-Douglas High School
Hanging art installation that greets students at Juneau-Douglas High School and the Juneau Community Charter School each day.

“For anyone to grow up complete, art is imperative” – Paul Harvey

Alaska’s schools are beautiful.  When you walk into any school, in any part of the state, you are met by not only the sights and sounds of students learning, but you are greeted by art. Supported by our unique, talented and dedicated Alaskan arts community, schools around the state are filled with paintings, photographs, sculptures, mosaics and objects that reflect the regional stories and landscapes of Alaska. Continue reading ‘The Inspiring Art of Alaska’s Schools’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN

The Juneau Community Charter School (JCCS) Community Winter Camp by Principal Caron Smith

Our Alaskan Schools blog

The Juneau Community Charter School (JCCS) is a small, community driven, charter school in the heart of Juneau. Recently, 87 of its students, K-8, attended two incredible days of the biennial Charter School Community Winter Camp off the grid, out in the forests north of Juneau. Weather in southeast Alaska is notoriously fickle, but the camp lucked out with 2 days of sunny skies and lots of new snow to play in. Continue reading The Juneau Community Charter School (JCCS) Community Winter Camp by Principal Caron Smith