As Alaskans know, living in remote areas under harsh winter conditions can be challenging. Add in the fears, restrictions and isolation of a pandemic, and life can be downright overwhelming. In response to those shared challenges, staff at North Slope Borough School District (NSBSD) started a ‘Messages of Hope’ campaign asking students to draw and share what hope means to them.
One of the ‘Walls of Hope’ at NSBSD schools that was created during the ‘Message of Hope’ campaign
Alaska’s winter season is something special. Extreme. Beautiful. Unpredictable. Long. To get to and from school, many students and staff stoically suit up with the necessary hats, gloves, jackets, snow pants and boots, often traversing formidable snow berms and ice encrusted roadways. They also sometimes brave temperatures that can reach down to -65 below zero. The moving thing about Alaska’s school communities is that they embrace these realities with a special brand of Alaskan hardiness and inspired appreciation.
The Our Alaskan Schools Blog is pleased to offer ‘A View from the Window’, a showcase of visual snapshots from seven different schools across the state that highlight what students and staff are experiencing during this unique season in The Last Frontier.
Each year, Carrs-Safeway and the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) awards education grants to educators looking to enhance and innovate their professional practice in schools around Alaska. The program encourages educators to identify a problem of practice in their classroom, school, and/or district and propose novel ways to address this challenge to improve student outcomes. Continue reading School in Anaktuvuk Pass Updates Classroom Space and Inspires Students/Elders, by Sam Jordan at ASDN