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<p>The &#8216;Our Alaskan Schools&#8217; blog is wrapping up its 6th year, sharing 25 diverse and captivating stories from Alaska’s public schools. If you missed some, here are highlights from our most popular posts.</p>

<p>On January 17th, Rowman &amp; Littlefield will publish Rural School Leadership: Lessons from Alaska, a book written by and for school leaders in rural Alaska.</p>

<p>Recognizing the urgent need for culturally relevant and modern teaching resources, the Bering Strait School District (BSSD) has launched an ambitious project to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of today’s students while preserving Native languages. The BSSD Bilingual/Bicultural Department includes 24 cultural teachers across 15 schools and three Native languages: Akuzipik, Yupik, and&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2025/01

<p>On November 15th, the Valdez High School Library, in partnership with the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive and local Alaska Native elders and cultural ambassadors, hosted an Alaska Native Culture Appreciation Day to celebrate Native American / Native Alaskan Heritage Month. VHS Library Associate, Pamela Verfaillie, approached her principal, Peter Baksis, with the idea and&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/12/12/valdez-high-s

<p>After many years of showcasing artwork for Youth Art Month at the 5th Avenue Mall on temporary display panels, an idea emerged to have a permanent student art display in the mall. This was forged from a partnership between Simon Holdings (5th Avenue Mall management) and the Anchorage School District. The mall has provided a&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/12/04/asd-student-art-takes-center-stage-in-public-art-galleries/">Conti

<p>After 14 years of having our school closed in Nikolski, The Aleutian Region School District is really excited about once again having enough children in the community to re-open. Nikolski is located on the western tip of Umnak Island just west of Unalaska. It is thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/11/25/nikolski-school-reopens-after-14-years/">Continue Reading &#8216

<p>“It was the perfect fusion of movement, identity, language revitalization, play, and the arts &#8211; this work is transformative.” – Rachel Lucy This statement was written in a letter of nomination for the Governor’s Arts &amp; Humanities Awards 2024. It was submitted by my colleague who was able to witness me during a cultural enrichment&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/11/15/teach-nourish-heal-and-connect/">Continue Reading

<p>On a snowy October 15th, 2024, afternoon, students at Nome-Beltz Middle High School filed into the school gym, gathering to collectively celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. The assembly brought together students and community members to share stories, give advice, and empower Nome Nanook youth. </p>

<p>Senior design projects are an engineering students’ rite of passage, a chance to apply four years of classroom knowledge to a real-world project. We, as civil engineering students, could choose any type of structure in any location. While our classmates decided to focus on projects within the city of our university, Columbia University in the&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/10/11/how-columbia-university-students-design-of-an-a

3D Model of the rural Alaska school building design Senior design projects are an engineering students’ rite of passage, a chance to...

<p>“It was a marvelously bright spring day- a perfect day to take my 8th graders on a bike ride along our city’s outstanding greenbelt. The trails were finally free of the sloshy slush and we were a week away from their graduation. What could be better than soaking up our final days together than hopping&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/09/12/shining-a-light-on-story-teacher-tales-amplifies-the-voices-of-educators/">Continue Readi

“It was a marvelously bright spring day- a perfect day to take my 8th graders on a bike ride along our city’s outstanding greenbelt. The...

Seven Alaska Youth Recognized as Local Community Heroes With a heart to serve others, young Alaskans are changing lives and making their...

<p>Seven Alaska Youth Recognized as Local Community Heroes With a heart to serve others, young Alaskans are changing lives and making their communities better. From advocating for legislation in the U.S. Congress to supporting their peers, and raising awareness and funds for causes important to them, youth across the state are having a positive impact&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/08/21/seven-alaska-youth-recognized-as-local-co

<p>  GROUP OF INDIGENOUS SOUTHEAST ALASKA EDUCATORS PRESENT COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MODEL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Through funding provided by the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and based on a Sealaska Heritage Institute Community of Practice approach, a group of Southeast Alaska educators recently traveled to the Reimagining Teachers and Teacher Education for Our Futures conference&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/07/26/ak-indig

GROUP OF INDIGENOUS SOUTHEAST ALASKA EDUCATORS PRESENT COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MODEL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Through funding provided...

<p>The land of the midnight sun and the study of nocturnal animals, such as bats, isn&#8217;t what you would expect at your typical summer camp—however, this unique combination made for a memorable experience for students and members of the Yakutat community.   For the past 12 years, Sarah Israelson, the middle school teacher for Yakutat School&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/07/17/bats-of-alaska/">Continue Reading &#8216;Bats of

The land of the midnight sun and the study of nocturnal animals, such as bats, isn’t what you would expect at your typical summer...

Every school district in Alaska focuses on preparing students for life after graduation. Anthony Cavan, CTE Welding Instructor for the...

<p>Every school district in Alaska focuses on preparing students for life after graduation. Anthony Cavan, CTE Welding Instructor for the Yukon-Koyukuk School District (YKSD), helps students receive the certifications and skills they need to start a career as welders right after graduation.   After 22 years of teaching welding in Kodiak, Cavan moved to Fairbanks in&hellip; <a class="more-link" href="https://ouralaskanschools.edublogs.org/2024/07/02/welding_yksd/">Continue Rea