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Alaska ICE News 2008-09-03 Intellectual and Emotional Education Make a Potent Pairing George Lucas joins a panel of national experts moderated by Daniel Goleman that explores the value of social and emotional learning. 2008-08-27 School Connectedness – Creating a Caring Environment This module - from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Building Resilient Kids web course - emphasizes creation of a climate of positive school connectedness, which increases the likelihood that students will succeed. 2008-08-22 High/Scope Youth Development Academy The Youth Development Academy is for people who work directly with youth (ages 12-18). It will consist of an initial three-day in-person training session, four follow-up webinars and coaching sessions, with a final in-person wrap-up session on February 11, 2009. 2008-08-19 Groups look to form teen-centered Web site The Fairbanks Youth Development Coalition is combining its efforts with AmeriCorps VISTA and other youth-focused organizations to form a Web site that offers a variety of aids for young people. 2008-08-14 Universities launch effort to debunk Native stereotypes Engaging Controversy, a university program that aims to get students talking about sensitive subjects, will spend the coming school year dispelling myths about Alaska Natives. 2008-08-08 Great Expectations: Helping Children Be Their Best All parents have dreams and expectations for their children to succeed. Expectations help to infuse children with confidence, self-esteem, and other assets. But too much expectation can be counterproductive. The key is balance. 2008-08-04 Arts Events at Central and Circle, Alaska Painting, music, and culture were the focus of community visits to Central and Circle, two destinations on the Yukon Flats Spring Arts Program tour. 2008-07-30 Upward Bound students learn about culture and careers The week-long Upward Bound program helps to prepare mostly Alaska Native Students for higher education with math, science, and cultural components. The program also helps to develop leadership skills while exposing students to a wide variety of educational and career possibilities. 2008-07-25 Community Arts Event in Stevens Village Stevens Village was one of the stops on the Yukon Flats Spring Arts Program. Vicki Salmon and Laverne Alexander worked with students in various arts media. Parents worked with their kids on projects too. Afterward, student art was installed throughout the school. 2008-07-24 2008 Youth Friendly Business Award Winners The Youth Friendly Business recognition program is a partnership between Spirit of Youth and Alaska ICE. Nominate a business in your community for a 2009 YFB award today! 2008-07-21 Community Arts in Beaver, Alaska A student art workshop centered on assets encouraged by the Traditional Athabascan Values established in the Gwich’in culture recently took place in Beaver, AK. The workshop culminated in a community art night that was fun and beneficial for all involved. 2008-07-18 Arctic Village Community Art Night The next morning, while a snowstorm raged ouside, the school gym was transformed into an art studio. For two days basic drawing and painting skills were taught to all grade levels. Friday night was a community art night. Over 40 youth and adults gathered... 2008-07-16 Emotional Intelligence and SEL - Pathways to Success With social and emotional learning (SEL) gaining traction in more schools across the country as an important complement to traditional academics in educating the whole child, it is fast becoming a recognized route to success. 2008-07-15 Community Arts Event in Venetie For several days beginning art lessons were taught to various classes. Venetie is one of the larger village schools. There were barely enough paint shirts to go around as large numbers of students visited and enjoyed experimenting with different media such as acrylic paint, colored pencils, markers, etc. 2008-07-14 Spirit of Youth blog Spirit of Youth, the Alaska Teen Media Institute, and the Anchorage Daily News collaborated to create and pilot a blog this past spring. The blog has become an innovative media outlet that has increased exposure and consumption of youth-created, positive news stories. 2008-07-10 Spiral Notebook at edutopia.org Spiral Notebook is a collection of postings from respected experts in a variety of fields that allow readers to think and offers ways to improve classrooms, schools, and school districts. 2008-07-07 Kid-friendly web browsers for young readers Two kid-friendly web browsers - Red Zebra and ZAC - allow children to explore the internet in a safe environment. 2008-07-07 2008 AYEA Art In Action Training: Telling Our Stories Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) is collaborating with an innovative organization called Art in Action from Oakland, California. Art in Action is similar to AYEA, as it is a youth leadership program. 2008-07-03 A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education A new task force of national policy experts recently launched a campaign that takes a look at how the U.S. approaches education, and suggests new viewpoints to help close the achievement gap. 2008-06-30 Yakutat Health Fair Yakutat’s National Honor Society worked with several state, regional, and local health professionals to put on a fair that drew eighty-one students and ninety-two adults. 2008-06-25 Raising Happy Kids Based at the University of California, Berkeley, the Greater Good Science Center is a wonderful reference for parents interested in raising happy and emotionally literate kids. 2008-06-20 Conference of Young Alaskans 2009 On October 4, 2008, young people from large and small communities across the state will convene to discuss, debate, and delve into the issues that are important to them and are affecting the state today. 2008-06-18 RFP for village-based prevention - early intervention services The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is requesting proposals from rural Alaska communities to provide comprehensive, integrated behavioral health prevention and early intervention services promoting community, family, and individual wellness across Alaska. 2008-06-16 Supporting School Climate in Southeast Island Read about Southeast Island School District Community Engagement Advocate Lynn Bateman's ideas on how to build assets in the youth of your community, and how school climate has improved in SISD. 2008-06-11 Alaska ICE Partner: AEYC-SEA During 2005 and 2006, a partnership was born between Alaska ICE and the Association for the Education of Young Children – Southeast Alaska to embed the assets message into the Early Care and Education training system in Alaska. 2008-06-10 Art Links and Research Art is essential to positive development of children and youth. 2008-06-09 Naturally Alaska Book Festival The second annual Naturally Alaska Book Festival is going to take place June 12-14 in Fairbanks. More than 20 prominent Alaska artists will be on hand to share their creative inspirations and works. Keynote speaker for the event will be artist Ray Troll. 2008-06-06 Glacier Valley students given increased access to the arts Glacier Valley Elementary School's Art is Elementary program continues to expand as their community partnerships grow. Glacier Valley now offers arts opportunities beyond the school day, both before and after school, in the visual arts, music, dance, and drama. 2008-06-05 Spirit of Youth seeks Executive Director Spirit Of Youth (SOY) is seeking an Executive Director to lead it's dynamic statewide nonprofit that recognizes youth and provides opportunities for meaningful youth engagement. Deadline to apply is June 11. 2008-06-05 Active Arts Camp in Haines Nature provided the inspiration and the materials for the children attending the Active Arts Camp in Haines. With a naturalist, they studied the driftwood, shells and stones from their weekly beach walks and then used them to decorate their float for the Southeast State Fair Parade on July 28th. 2008-06-04 Artist TOPS in Anchorage Art teachers and artists came from all over the state to experience the stimulation, creativity and sheer joy that comes from learning how they can engage young people, creating positive relationships, and improve the community climate through the arts. 2008-05-23 Youth Learn from Elders in Nanwalek Summer learning opportunities for the youth of Nanwalek bring youth, adults, and elders together. Activities begin in mid June and funding is provided through our regional corporation, the housing authority, non-profits, and the village council. 2008-05-21 'Bear' ties students, community together Connections within community have become more and more apparent in and vital to Effie Kokrine Charter School’s first student theater production, “The Winter Bear,” set to open next week. 2008-05-15 Creative Arts Mentoring Project in Homer Last fall, Homer Council On the Arts launched the Creative Arts Mentoring Project (CAMP), a new program to facilitate relationships between established artists and teens interested in the arts. 2008-05-13 Parenting ideas to break free from summer boredom With the school year coming to a close, summer vacation is around the bend and MVParents shares ideas for keeping kids (and their brains!) active and engaged during their time away from school. 2008-05-08 ATMI Teen Wins Recognition, Award from Alaska Press Club Alaska Teen Media Institute reporter Erin Britton won a 1st Place 2008 Alaska Press Club Award for Best Reporting in the Health or Science category against some fierce competition, including working, professional journalists from across the state. 2008-05-02 Southeast Island School District Updates Website Lynn Bateman, the Community Engagement Advocate for Southeast Island School District, recently made some additions to the school district’s website by including a section devoted to raising awareness of the developmental assets and community engagement efforts of the district. 2008-04-29 Two boys save children from icy duck pond Two boys were hailed as heroes after rescuing two children that had fallen through an icy pond last Thursday evening in Juneau. 2008-04-25 Taking Shakespeare on the Road As part of the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare for a New Generation Initiative, Cyrano’s Theatre Company of Anchorage and Edgeware Productions partnered to produce an Alaska Native adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 2008-04-22 Color of Justice 2008 The Color of Justice program brings diverse youth from across Alaska together for two days of exciting workshops and activities designed to encourage them to consider legal and judicial careers and to introduce them to campus life. 2008-04-17 Craig students show creativity through digital assignment Cheryl Bobo, Technology Director of Craig City Schools, sent AASB examples of student-created magazine covers produced as part of a class assignment. The class has been participating in AASB's Consortium for Digital Learning (CDL) 1 to 1 initiative since 2006. 2008-04-15 Family Digital Resource Center Welcome to the Family Digital Resource Center! We believe that the links, materials, and stories you find here will provide valuable information for the entire family. 2008-04-14 Polar Power is seeking more student writers Student poetry, essays, stories, research, podcasts, and digital stories related to global and environmental issues will all be accepted for review and publication on the Alaska State Writing Consortium web site. 2008-04-08 Placing value in helping others Southeast Island School Districts’ Thorne Bay School Wood Shop students have identified a community safety issue and are working creatively to solve it. 2008-04-04 Cantwell student keeps subsistence skills alive BJ Gore, with two Native elders guiding him, learned a traditional skill last week that otherwise might have been lost to future generations. A unique high school internship taught him a bit about his own heritage and earned him recognition from his home community. 2008-03-31 Nenana's Gates Millennium Scholars Program Finalists Announced The Student Support Services Office at the Nenana Student Living Center is proud to announce that the Nenana City School District has four finalists for the 2008 Gates Millennium Scholars Program Award! They are: Heidi Kiunya, Breanna Semaken, Jay Bean, and Arielle Axford. 2008-03-25 Social Emotional Learning Through Cooperation As social, emotional, and academic abilities continue to span a wider spectrum and the pressures of testing and accountability continue to mount, how do teachers ensure that their students are meeting the required standards for the content areas they're covering? 2008-03-18 Social-Emotional Learning Social-Emotional Learning page 2008-03-18 Sitka Fine Arts Camp wins national award Sitka Fine Arts Camp was nationally recognized as one of 18 recipients of the 2007 Coming Up Taller Awards. Youth and adult representatives of the program received the $10,000 award from First Lady Laura Bush at a White House ceremony in Washington, D.C. 2008-03-17 AASB offers scholarships to 10 graduating seniors The Association of Alaska School Boards is proud to sponsor its 17th Annual June Nelson Memorial Scholarship Award. High-school seniors can apply for a $1,000 scholarship toward thier choice of college, business, or trade school. Deadline to apply: March 31st, 2008. 2008-03-13 Youth Wellness Fair We aim to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles to our youth. The fair is hosted by West Valley High School but is open to all youth (and parents) of the Fairbanks community. 2008-03-12 Lessons of the Square Watermelon Savann Guthrie shares some lessons on changing the way we think and interact with youth and each other to create valuable impacts in the lives of youth. 2008-03-10 School Climate and Connectedness School Climate and Connectedness and Culturally Responsive Continuum. 2008-03-04 Creating a Safe Place The social ills found in public schools -- bullying, school shootings, gang violence -- litter the media. Here's one headline, however, that didn't get much play: "Student Encourages Peer to Hand Over Unloaded Gun in School." 2008-02-29 Arts Projects in Southeast Island School District Our FY’08 Art/Assets Grant has provided our ASC youth and adults with the means to make creative choices and put talents into action. Community members are in our schools sharing their talents with students and valuing youth contributions like never before. 2008-02-26 Maxwell doesn't take sport for granted When Dustin Maxwell entered high school three years ago after becoming a stud wrestler in middle school, the future looked bright for this East High wrestler. But Maxwell chose a different route... 2008-02-22 Glacier Valley Elementary sets sights for Washington D.C It's not every day that 35 kids from an elementary school get to fly to Washington D.C together to perform a play at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Fourth and fifth graders from Glacier Valley Elementary are now entering their second week of rehearsals to prepare for just that. 2008-02-20 The Circle of Drums Brings Us Together Keeping hands OFF the new drumming circle is the hardest thing for young musicians at the Denali Borough School District. 2008-02-19 Community Art Project in Anderson With the solid leadership of Anderson School teacher Sandra Trumbower, a community art project is taking shape – a glass mosaic in the design of the new Alaska quarter. The mosaic will be displayed in the foyer of Anderson School. 2008-02-18 Our Most Valuable Assets Recently, Seward principals invited community leaders to join students in a workshop exploring how to build strong bonds of support for our youth in the community. The sessions focused not only on factors that influence learning, but also on the value of strong partnerships between students and non-parent adults. 2008-02-04 Teacher Scholarships - Summer Teacher Trainings in Denali The Murie Science and Learning Center is awarding scholarships to teachers for accredited trainings and seminars this summer in Denali National Park. Deadline to apply: Feb. 24, 2008. 2008-01-29 Fairbanks Community Meets to Discuss Education Issues 175 adults and youth recently attended a local summit on education in Fairbanks. The catalyst for the forum was the Interior Issues Council-Task Force on Education, launched in May of 2006, to look at issues that affect the Fairbanks community and find ways to address them. 2008-01-24 Teachers step into 21st century with new laptops The school library was a buzz with excitement and trepidation as all the University Park teachers turned on new MacBook laptops and played around with the settings. Similar scenes took place Monday at Arctic Light and Anne Wien elementaries. 2008-01-21 First Alaskans Community Investments Funding Announcement First Alaskans Institute announces the second year of its Community Investments funding initiative. This funding opportunity is targeted to projects that demonstrate long lasting and collaborative efforts among community organizations. Deadline to apply: Feb. 8, 2008. 2008-01-18 DGSD honors Tanya Malyk Delta/Greely School District honors Tanya Malyk for her efforts and achievements as a student of DGSD. 2008-01-14 SAIL Clean-Up Project in Sitka Ten members of the Sitka High School student council dedicated several hours of their Sunday morning to help a local elder. 2008-01-11 2008 Civics and Conservation Summit The Summit (March 9-13) is an innovative training that inspires young people from diverse Alaskan communities to discover their power to influence positive change. Deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2008. 2008-01-08 Young people can make a difference through volunteering Dillingham Middle/High School student Tiana Petersen believes that volunteering will help the community come together and provide a strong, clean, healthy environment for children, youth, and adults. 2008-01-04 Social-Skills Programs Found to Yield Gains in Academic Subjects A forthcoming research review offers some counterintuitive advice for educators: Take time out of the curriculum to teach students to manage their emotions and to practice empathy, caring, and cooperation—and their academic achievement could improve in the bargain. 2007-12-18 Assets and Community Engagement in Petersburg Savann Guthrie, the Community Engagement Advocate for Petersburg, talks about building positive relationships with youth and engaging the community in helping kids to achieve success, academically and in life. 2007-12-17 Insights and Evidence Search Institute's Insights and Evidence research briefs. 2007-12-17 Ukuda Wa! The St. Paul School Newsletter for Nov/Dec 2007. 2007-12-14 Red Ribbon Week Sharing Letters In October, 2007, AKAOK spread an important message throughout the Unalaska Community, Drugs Are Bad! Participants had the opportunity to share advice, words of wisdom or a learning experience about the dangers of drug use with each other. 2007-12-13 Fairbanks Area Businesses Honored as Being Youth Friendly With greater expectations for student academic achievement and preparing youth for the workforce, Fairbanks area businesses have come to recognize they can do more to promote youth success and offer important workforce preparation skills. 2007-12-11 Peer Mentors Help Young Arts Students One hundred elementary school students unable to contain their excitement might be too daunting for most teenagers. Not for 16 special high school students, however, who served as peer mentors for the Sitka Fine Arts Mini Camp this past summer. 2007-12-07 Kiita Center students celebrate second annual Inuit Day The second annual Inuit Day, celebrated at Kiita Learning Community with storytelling by elders, was held on Nov. 7, 2007. Students and staff had been invited to wear traditional clothing for the day, which began with a gathering to hear stories by elders Kenneth Toovak and Sadie Rexford. 2007-12-03 Staying connected boosts student school performance Having an interest and being connected to your child's education can have a profound impact on their academic achievement and interest in learning. Could you be more connected? 2007-11-28 Ten Tips for Parents that Foster Connections to School Practical suggestions that parents can follow to promote school connectedness for their children. 2007-11-26 Linguist raises voice for preservation of Native tongues Linguist Michael Krauss has devoted his professional life to documenting and preserving Alaska's 20 Native languages. The founder of the Alaska Native Language Center, Krauss continues a decades-long effort to produce an Eyak dictionary, among other projects. 2007-11-21 Mayor, Assembly look at expanding commitment to kids Some of the kids who show up after school at Central Lutheran Church in Fairview are among the poorest in the city. If the children weren't there, parents, teachers and even city lawmakers worry about where they would be and what they would be doing. 2007-11-21 Scavenger Hunt in Unalaska The scavenger hunt is a community-wide event open to all ages. For more information, contact Darcel Williams at 581-2751. 2007-11-19 Conference Presentation Materials In case you missed it, or would like to review some of the many exciting presentations, AASB has uploaded interviews with the two keynote speakers, Dr. Robert Blum on the importance of school climate and connectedness, and David Warlick on 21st Century learning skills. 2007-11-17 Raymond J. Voley named Alaska Teacher of the Year Alaska’s 2008 Teacher of the Year is Raymond J. Voley, who teaches history and technology at Kenny Lake School in the Copper River School District. Voley’s term begins January 1, 2008. 2007-11-13 Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say Educators and psychologists have long feared that children entering school with behavior problems were doomed to fall behind in the upper grades. But two new studies suggest that those fears are exaggerated. 2007-11-07 AYEA in National Spotlight Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) was recently spotlighted by the George Lucas Educational Foundation in a video focusing on their efforts to address climate change and global warming in Alaska. 2007-11-02 Mentoring and Student Engagement The Sitka School Board has been working to strengthen their relationship with students and to increase overall student engagement in governance and decision-making. Long-term, and more recent mentoring efforts with the Student Council have proven successful. 2007-10-30 Youth award nominee helps peers speak up Matt Cook, a Spirit of Youth nominee from Chugiak High School, is spearheading a new program called Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP). RSVP encourages students to speak up about, and find solutions to, education issues that affect them most. 2007-10-25 Tightening the web of support for our children At last month’s State School Boards Association Presidents’ Retreat in Anchorage, adults took part in Alaska ICE's 'dreamcatcher activity,' demonstrating how important a support system is for each child to succeed in life. 2007-10-23 School Boards Lead the Way with 1 to 1 Learning In many school districts, the idea of implementing a 1 to 1 learning program begins with a single principal or teacher. But in Alaska, members of school boards came together to launch a statewide 1 to 1 learning initiative. 2007-10-18 Youth-Adult Engagement Opportunity for Your Community For 2007-08, the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement and the Association of Alaska School Boards are offering reimbursements for community activities that encourage intentional adult-youth partnerships. Apply for a $500 reimbursement to carry out a community project that teams youth with adults. 2007-10-16 Assets, not just economic value, encourage youth Normally, assets indicate an adult’s economic value. To Alaska Kids Are Our Kids, a program created two years ago by concerned Unalaska residents, assets indicate the components in children’s lives that help them grow up to be competent and compassionate individuals. 2007-10-14 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. 2007-10-09 Spirit of Youth: Celebrating Alaska’s Amazing Young People We all know youth in our communities that are engaged in community service projects, helping peers and neighbors, and making other tangible contributions to our schools and communities. Nominate a TEEN or a YOUTH FRIENDLY BUSINESS for a Spirit of Youth Award today! 2007-10-02 New School, Old Ways of Knowing Everyone has stories, of course, but the students at Effie Kokrine seem to have life experiences far beyond their years. For many, home is a village in the northern interior—places such as Huslia, Tanana, Galena, and Nulato. The distance between Fairbanks and those villages is more than physical. 2007-09-26 Dillingham Community Project The Dillingham community has been busy this past summer with several community service projects that cooperatively combine youth with adults. One of the projects involved dumpsters, paint, and creativity to produce powerful messages. 2007-09-21 Day of Caring Unites Young Adults and Youth in Fairbanks In a unique partnership as part of the United Way of the Tanana Valley’s annual Day of Caring, collegiate volleyball, basketball and hockey players sponsored an afternoon of activities for ‘Littles’ in the local Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Program. 2007-09-20 Bullied student tickled pink by schoolmates' T-shirt campaign Two Nova Scotia students are being praised across North America for the way they turned the tide against the bullies who picked on a fellow student for wearing pink. 2007-09-18 Asset #3: Other Adult Relationships Of the 40 Developmental Assets, #3 is Other Adult Relationships. Read about Southeast Island School District's Lynn Bateman's ideas on how to build this asset in the youth of your community. 2007-09-18 Asset #5: Caring School Climate Of the 40 Developmental Assets, #5 is Caring School Climate. When students feel safe, connected and engaged in their schools, they are more successful and effective learners. Learn Southeast Island School District Lynn Bateman's take on how you can help build this asset in the youth of your community. 2007-09-18 Coast Guard signs on to volunteer in Juneau's schools The Juneau School District and the Coast Guard have agreed to promote more Coast Guard volunteer participation in Juneau's schools. The partnership will be facilitated by the Big Brothers Big Sisters school program. 2007-09-13 NSBA Presidents' Retreat The 2007 National School Boards Association (NSBA) Presidents’ Retreat was held August 16-18 in Anchorage, Alaska and featured two sessions facilitated by AASB staff. The first was an overview of Alaska ICE and the second focused on the importance of youth voice. 2007-09-10 ASD Online Study Skills Links A great resource of web-links aimed at improving student's learning and studying skills can be found online at the Anchorage School District's website. These links offer ways for students to study smarter. 2007-09-08 Asset #37: Personal Power Of the 40 Developmental Assets, #37 is "Personal Power." Personal Power helps youth feel in control of things that happen to them. Learn Southeast Island School District Lynn Bateman's take on how you can help build this asset in the youth of your community. 2007-09-07 RurAL CAP recruiting Americorps Teams RurAL CAP AmeriCorps Programs offer the perfect opportunity for school districts and community organizations to enhance their service initiatives, build community engagement, and develop positive youth-adult relationships. Apply Today! 2007-09-04 Cultivating a culture of achievement at the NSLC This school year the Nenana Student Living Center (NSLC) is re-focusing on driving its students toward academic achievement as a means of enabling them for secondary and post-secondary educational and occupational development. 2007-08-29 Camp Qunguyaax passes the Aleut flame Recently, the 10th annual Camp Qunguyaax was held in Humpy Cove, teaching Aleut culture to children. The 40 or so campers, in 5th-12th grade, learned traditional ways through story telling, art, dance, food, and more. 2007-08-23 Landmark Study of Young People and Happiness MTV and the Associated Press recently released a study of young people (aged 13 - 24) and happiness. Spending time with family is among the top activities that make respondents most happy. 2007-08-20 The missing piece of a well-rounded education Social-emotional learning is the often neglected missing-piece of a well-rounded education. Numerous studies link emotional well-being to academic success. Could educating the heart be as important as educating the mind? 2007-08-14 Miss WEIO 2007 to represent Natives across Alaska Nicole Colbert embodies as well as embraces the cultural diversity she cherishes. She hopes to inspire Native Alaskan youth around the state to begin embracing their cultural heritage with honor and pride. 2007-08-10 Study touts effectiveness of youth mentor program A national report released last week touted Alaska's largest youth mentoring program as a success in schools. In Juneau, the mentoring program is credited with raising grades and improving attitudes in a district that is working to better both. 2007-08-08 Family Game Night Table games, board games, cards, and more at the Baptist Gym! 2007-08-08 Hometown Circus Join the fun as we perform a live, hometown circus with wild animal trainers, snake charmers, acrobats, clowns, and more! 2007-08-07 Aquatic ecology project hooks teen Ninth-grader Austin Gillespie of Seward expanded upon a natural curiosity of the ocean by taking part in a scientific research internship with the JASON Project. The internship included stops in Wisconsin and Virginia. 2007-08-02 Beyond Heritage Youth and Elder Storytelling Mentorship Storytellers Bob Sam, Brett Dillingham, Gary Waid, and Ishmael Hope, along with respected Tlingit Elder Marie Olson, hosted a Youth and Elder retreat from June 2 – 3, 2007 at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. 2007-08-01 Alaska ICE Partners Partners of Alaska Ice 2007-08-01 Alaska ICE Partners Alaska ICE Partners over the years (page 2) 2007-07-30 Telling Our Stories TELLING OUR STORIES is a public performance by teens participating in the 2007 Summer Institute in Anchorage. The Summer Institute is an exciting training for teens who want to explore the use of art and media to impact environmental issues in Alaska. 2007-07-20 MySpace software for parents MySpace will soon be releasing free software designed to let parents know if their kids have profiles on the site. Code-named "Zephyr," it's parental-notification software, not monitoring software, which makes sense because MySpace says it's designed to promote parent-child communication about social networking. 2007-07-14 Dutch Harbor companies receive statewide recognition At the Thursday, May 17 school board meeting in the Unalaska City High School library, two local businesses received Spirit of Youth Business awards. The award recognizes businesses within communities that are youth friendly. 2007-07-09 Sharing Assets through the Arts As a group of artists, arts educators and arts organizational leaders found out at a Training of Promoters and Storytellers (TOPS) this past April, there’s more than one way to reach out to our youth. Even small actions of support and encouragement can count big. 2007-07-03 Nurturing Children’s Imaginations Developing literacy skills early in a child’s life creates an important foundational basis for their learning in the future. Studies have shown that immersing a child in a literacy environment can be a stronger predictor of literacy and academic achievement than family income. 2007-06-26 Get Your Children Active to Help Them Do Better in School In a study released by the American College of Sports Medicine last fall, a pretty compelling link was made between being physically active and school achievement. Nancy Copping of the Alaska PTA Wellness Team offers suggestions on encouraging your child to get active! 2007-06-22 Community Volunteers Recognized Every year, the Community Center in Unalaska holds a banquet as a way of saying thank you to its volunteers. Over the last year, community members contributed approximately 3,500 hours to the community center. The volunteered hours were valued at about $60,000. 2007-06-18 Nunapitchuk Cultural Week Culture week at Anna Tobeluk Memorial School was a huge success on many levels. We invited elders to teach us how to sew furs, bead, crochet, make fish traps and sleds, and tell Yupik stories. 2007-06-08 Community Mural in Dillingham The community of Dillingham recently came together to create an artful display that not only brightens the city landscape, but also speaks in support of the community’s young people. 2007-06-06 The Power of an Untapped Resource This booklet was created by an Alaskan student for any board that is interested in expand¬ing the representation of their board, “growing their own” board members for tomorrow and/or empowering the youth in their community. 2007-06-01 Alaska city, village kids trade places The eighth-graders from the Inupiat Eskimo village of Buckland are among dozens of Alaska students participating in a federally funded exchange program that pairs remote schools with their big-city counterparts. 2007-05-25 Two Alaska Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Ceremony Marcus Farquhar, 14, and Angelina Klapperich, 13, both of Palmer, were honored in the nation’s capital for their outstanding volunteer work during the presentation of The 2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. 2007-05-17 Spring Carnival There are many things provided through the Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) that students and staff can participate in, such as Spring Carnival. The Carnival offers many different types of events. You can just go and watch if you want, or you can join in. 2007-05-17 Room Enough for Opera When we then sang, acted and taught the students of Kotzebue, their attention mirrored the spirit of those young dancers. We shared their joy as we realized “they get this -- they like it!”. Everyone knew exactly why we were here. 2007-05-11 Young Native Writers Essay Contest The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation's essay contest is exclusively for Native American high school students, with the goal of promoting education and creating new opportunities for youth. 2007-05-08 “Just” hanging out In a world that is fast paced and media filled, people are pushed and pulled in many directions at once. There is a desire to always be programmed and always have something important to be doing right at this moment. I was like this...until a few days ago. 2007-05-04 A Place of Their Own A Place of Our Own (Los Ninos en Su Casa in Spainish) is a daily television series, website, and an extensive outreach program devoted to the unique needs of people who care for children. 2007-04-30 Fairbanks business gets Youth Friendly award At the annual Spirit of Youth Banquet held in Anchorage, College Coffeehouse received the coveted Youth Friendly Business designation, the first to receive this designation in Fairbanks. 2007-04-27 Too Oozhril Zhit Tsyaa Tsal Dhidii Wednesday April 11, 2007. 6pm at the Arctic Village Community Hall a crowd gathered to witness a show prepared by Arctic Village students - The Boy in the Moon - under the direction of Allan Hayton. 2007-04-26 The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning The George Lucas Educational Foundation, a vocal proponent of social and emotional learning, has compiled a list of resources and student-centered activities on emotional intelligence. 2007-04-25 Fairbanks holds Fit for Life Wellness Fair Students and parents filled the commons area of West Valley High School (WVHS) on Wednesday, April 11th attending the “Fit for Life” Wellness Fair as part of a Wellness Grant from the Alaska PTA. 2007-04-18 Coffman Cove business wins Youth Friendly designation Judy Willis, owner of The Riggin’ Shack, has created a friendly, supportive and respectful atmosphere within her store. The Riggin’ Shack, of Coffman Cove, Alaska, is a great and welcoming place for all youth. 2007-04-17 Easter Gifts and School Climate at MEHS This is the time of year that the staff likes best. Relationships have been formed and there is a sense of community between students and between staff. This is the time of year when MEHS really feels like a family. 2007-04-16 Going to School Galena, Alaska is a very nice village. It’s bigger than my village. I am from Aniak, Alaska. 550 people live in Aniak. 600 people live in Galena. 2007-04-12 The Nenana Student Living Center At the Nenana Student Living Center (NSLC) we provide our students not only with a dynamic and supportive place to learn, but also to live. 2007-04-11 Building healthier communities - Tips for involving youth Partnering youth with adults in neighborhood projects is a great way to build stronger, healthier communities. The Innovation Center focuses on ways to increase community-based youth engagement. 2007-04-10 Life @ GILA I like the Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) because of the staff, living conditions, and entertainment provided by “the Dorms.” “The Dorms” are my temporary residence and a great place to change, grow, mature, and have fun. 2007-04-09 Strong Man Writer Ishmael Hope and illustrator Dimi Macheras interweave ancient oral history with a contemporary plotline to bring Strong Man into the comic book realm, highlighting traditional cultural values as a foundation for youth achievement and resiliency. 2007-04-09 The past merges with the present in Strong Man comic book Besides the entertainment aspect of the story, Strong Man brings with it a moral message focusing on determination and will to fight against adversity and to succeed. 2007-04-09 Strong Man comic book finds broad fan base Prior to the start of the first book signing at Anchorage's Borders Books, the line to get to the signing table stretched through the store and out the door! 2007-04-05 Unalaska's Asset of the Month for April The heading Positive Identity encompasses assets such as: Personal power, Self-esteem, Sense of purpose, and Positive view of personal future. 2007-04-03 Online world isn't always safe for kids A computer expert lives in my house. She is only 11 years old. Admittedly, I am thrilled that she can help me figure things out when I am stumped by the laptop that seems to sometimes rule my life. Other times, I am terrified. 2007-04-01 2007 Spirit of Youth Award Winners The Spirit of Youth recently held their 9th Annual Awards Banquet recognizing amazing youth and youth-friendly businesses from all across Alaska. Here are the winners for 2007! 2007-03-29 Taking Action at MEHS The Resiliency Grant has funded four positions at Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) in Sitka over the past several years. The grant will come to an end this school-year and many steps have been taken to ensure that these positions are secure for the future. This month, the students at MEHS sent there voice to legislature. 2007-03-29 A Lesson Learned A couple of weeks ago I had the misfortune of severely injuring my hand in a climbing accident; however, it was a great opportunity to see the heart of two MEHS students and learn a lesson in consideration and compassion from two young ladies here at Mt. Edgecumbe. 2007-03-29 Jammin’ Students For weeks, a few of our boys and two of the female staff members continually asked to be given time in the music room to rehearse. 2007-03-29 Environmental Reminders After returning from the NWACUHO conference in Calgary, I realize that our home here in Wilderness Hall could be doing so much more to benefit the environment. 2007-03-29 Working in the Kitchen at GILA To work in the GILA kitchen means accepting responsibility for the meals of others, respecting the kitchen staff, and caring about those for whom you are cooking. 2007-03-26 Living on the Edge The Nenana Student Living Center has touched the lives of many. Now, under threat of being shut down due to lack of funding, students and staff members find themselves in a tough spot, fighting for an institution worth saving. 2007-03-26 GILA students plan for their future Whether it's attending college or technical school, joining the military, or going into the workforce, the students at GILA are making plans for their future. 2007-03-26 Promoting a Drug-Free St. Patrick's Multiple groups and organizations in Sitka got together to celebrate a family-fun St. Patrick's Day with a comedy event fundraiser. 2007-03-20 Sitka Peer Helpers get Community Engaged Sitka Community Schools has recently received grant funds to use toward projects that promote healthy communities and positive youth-adult relationships. 2007-03-09 Deadline Nears For June Nelson Scholarship Applications Ten high school seniors in the class of 2007 will qualify for $1,000 scholarships from the Association of Alaska School Boards. Applications for the annual June Nelson Memorial Scholarship Program will be accepted through April 3. 2007-03-08 Students' helping hands start with hearts High School students in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District volunteer for a variety of reasons: the experience, to enhance their resumes, and just to help others in need. 2007-03-07 AASB and Alaska ICE get national recognition The Center for Public Education, a national resource featuring news and information about public education, recently generated articles spotlighting AASB and our Alaska ICE and QS2 initiatives. 2007-03-05 Community Connects with Kodiak High School The Center for Public Education, a national resource featuring news and information about public education, recently generated articles spotlighting AASB and our Alaska ICE and QS2 initiatives. This story highlights community efforts in Kodiak. 2007-02-28 Serving the community with equal vote 14-year old Parks and Recreation Commission member, Ally Beischer, offers her unique perspective as the only teenager serving on a city commission that is normally occupied by adults. 2007-02-20 More boys than girls struggling in school, group finds On Tuesday, Feb. 13, William Pollack, a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, spoke to Juneau educators, faculty members and parents about how to fix the problem. 2007-02-20 Eight Pizzas, Fifteen Students: You Do the Math After working with numerous students on their homework, I noticed a pattern: so many of the students were getting stuck in math. Often, they were confused about the same problems over and over. I needed a more efficient way to deal with them... 2007-02-19 Strong Man highlighted in Daily News article The Anchorage Daily News recently composed an article on Strong Man, a new comic book from illustrator Dimi Macheras, and writer Ishmael Hope. This project highlights cultural values as a foundation for strength and resiliency, and took the pair two years to complete. 2007-02-16 AKAOK hosts Souper Mentor event As part of mentor Month at AKAOK, the event call “Souper Mentor” invited students and parents to write letters to a person whom they consider a mentor or who has been a positive role model or an influential person in their lives. 2007-02-15 The Valentine's Tournament in Galena It is the biggest tournament on the Yukon. Many travel to Galena from nearby villages like Nulato, Fort Yukon, Tanana, Aniak, Ruby, and Huslia to play. Everybody put their best effort into this tournament. 2007-02-14 QS2 District Successes Quality Schools/Quality Students (QS2) is a comprehensive school improvement service initiated by AASB in January 2000. Local efforts have ushered in great progress and community cohesiveness around helping our children and youth succeed in rural and urban communities alike. 2007-02-11 Random Acts of Kindness Week: Feb 12 - 16 Being kind is something so easy to do. If we take the steps to keep thoughtfulness and compassion on our minds, and in our actions, think of the positive climates that can be cultivated. 2007-02-08 Boy Scouts bring home Spirit of Youth award Unalaska Boy Scout Troop 561 has made a comeback to headlines with their 14-minute original production that educates kids about the use of methamphetamines. 2007-02-05 Random Acts of Kindness Week Random Acts of Kindness Week is Feb. 12-16. 2007-02-05 Wonderful Winter Vacation Both students and staff at Wilderness Hall were looking forward to Winter Vacation! Winter Break is a perfect time to spend with family and friends. 2007-02-02 Ketchikan's Asset Builder of the Month As a community organization, the Monthly Grind has become a valued source of entertainment for Ketchikan’s families and provides opportunities to build developmental assets in Ketchikan’s youth by including them in its monthly shows at the Saxman Tribal House. 2007-02-02 Deck the Halls We wanted to do something that brought the holidays to the community in an old fashioned way. We brainstormed about Christmas caroling, making ginger bread houses, etc. Then it came to me… Let’s “DECK THE HALLS.” 2007-01-30 The Advocates for Alaska's Youth Network The main page for the Advocates for Alaska's Youth Network. 2007-01-30 Exit exam scores rise for seniors More Anchorage high-schoolers have passed the exit exam this year than in the past, with minority students making notable gains, happy school officials said Monday. 2007-01-24 Tribal Council Member Connects with Local Students Paul Nathaniel recently met with students and a handful of parents to discuss the consequences of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. He hoped to inform, inspire, and challenge the students on this important topic. 2007-01-23 My Christmas Break in Rural Alaska This past Christmas break I took the opportunity with a few other youth workers to visit some of the students from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in their villages… in their homes… where they live. 2007-01-22 Schools take time to better connect with their students Advisory periods allow students and teachers to get together and discuss the things happening at school and in their lives. Long-term goals include: improving school climate, reducing the number of failing grades, and improving school safety. 2007-01-17 Snap-Shots to Mentoring in Unalaska This is a program that will be run by teens to encourage mentoring. It will furthermore allow adults and others in the community the ability to see this art form through a student's eye. 2007-01-16 Souper Mentor in Unalaska Have you often thought about someone who encouraged you, gave you confidence, or just pointed you in the right direction? In honor of national Soup month and Mentor month AKAOK is inviting you to take a moment and think about WHO your mentor was and join us for some soup. 2007-01-16 Snap-Shots in Unalaska In honor of national Soup month and Mentor month AKAOK is inviting you to take a moment and think about WHO your mentor was (or is!) and join other community members for some soup. 2007-01-15 A Winning Combo Sometimes, all a youth needs to create a positive change in their life is someone to look up to and share time with. Athletes for Kids – a youth mentorship program in which high school athletes help elementary school children with disabilities is one such program. 2007-01-15 Dancing Once Again For years, the Chalkyitsik dance group had traveled within Alaska. About six years ago, that all came to a stop. This left the younger kids without any kind of traditional expression. Today Stephanie Herbert and Amanda Wright are volunteering their time to teach the kids how to dance again, upon the request of the kids. 2007-01-12 Connecting with Students by Sharing Cultural Skill As two new students adjust to Stevens Village School, it's nice to know that there are adults like Debra George to welcome them, spend time to talk and listen to them, and ultimately learn from and teach them. That's what community engagement is all about. 2007-01-11 Unalaska's Boy Scouts 561 Show the Spirit of Youth CONGRATS to the Boy Scouts 561 of Unalaska! They were recently named winners of a 2007 Spirit of Youth award for their inspired work in creating an original version of Not Even Once, a short movie detailing the inherent risks involved with drugs and alcohol. 2007-01-10 Asset of the Month Asset of the Month for January 2007 2007-01-10 Petersburg Newsletter December 2006 - January 2007 Petersburg City School Distirct newsletter. 2007-01-09 Replacing books with computers shows promise The theory: Give children constant access to technology and they will read more often, learn better and have fun doing it. Wendler Middle School is one of 48 Alaska schools in 18 school districts trying this techie approach. The project is run by the Association of Alaska School Boards... 2007-01-04 North Slope's MYAC Blazes New Trail in Alaska As part of his campaign, Mayor Edward Itta of the North Slope Borough unfolded his vision to create a Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) to include the participation of youth in issues regarding and affecting young people across the North Slope. 2007-01-02 Young students join in the band Glacier Valley Elementary School's Art is Elementary program is creating new opportunities for its students to excel and grow. The latest initiative invoves music in the morning! 2006-12-18 Mission Accomplished When Hands & Feet students met this year to brainstorm community service projects for the year, one of the seniors suggested that the service club reach out to GILA Alumni. 2006-12-18 Senses Indulged Two weeks of workshops and creativity culminated in the elegant Gallery Showing of the Wilderness Hall Visual Arts Festival. Handsomely dressed students and guests enjoyed browsing original art displays by GILA resident artists... 2006-12-18 Christmas Dinner If you were wondering where Santa Claus was on Sunday December 10th, he was at Mt. Edgecumbe High School at the annual Christmas dinner. This event is an annual candle-lit dinner where the students are served by staff. This year Father Christmas came with three of his elves to make the three course dinner even more special. 2006-12-14 3 Businesses Recognized for being Youth Friendly In November, the H20asis Water Park, Kaladis Brothers Coffee and Great Harvest Bread Company were presented the official certificate and decal to place in their window designating them as an official Youth Friendly Business. 2006-12-08 GILA Students Show Love for their Community Living in the dorms is always an effort in patience and understanding and I often find myself searching for the things that make me feel that these students will be ok in life. Thankfully, sometimes I don’t have to search very long. 2006-12-06 Community Night in Chalkyitsik Adults and youth of Chalkyitsik gathered together to focus on helping the children and youth of the community develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. 2006-12-05 Community Night in Arctic Village On November 14, 2006, Allan Hayton of the Association of Alaska School Boards, together with Yukon Flats School District, held a community night in Arctic Village. The Community night focused on connecting with and supporting children as a community. 2006-12-04 Unalaska's Asset of the Month for December Asset of the Month: Constructive Use of Time 2006-11-30 Thanksgiving in Galena For Thanksgiving, GILA students have a chance to go home or stay here in Galena. Some of the students make it home. The students who stay get checked out to have dinner at a nice home in the community. 2006-11-28 Culture Camp is Ketchikan's “Asset Builder” of the month This past October, PATCHWorks recognized Ketchikan Indian Community’s Culture Camp. Over the years Culture Camp has become an important means for young people to experience the outdoors and build the assets of positive identity, constructive use of time, commitment to learning and important social and cultural competencies. 2006-11-28 Giving Voice: A Creative Expressions Group If you like to write poetry, prose, or song lyrics; take photographs; draw, paint, or sculpt, Giving Voice is the Group for YOU! 2006-11-21 AASB Honors Education Leaders in Unalaska and Copper River The Unalaska City School District earned top honors with the Outstanding School Board Award for 2006 by the Association of Alaska School Boards. At the group’s annual conference Nov. 9-12 in Anchorage, Beth Betts, president of the Copper River School Board, took individual honors with the Outstanding School Board Member Award. 2006-11-20 Kodiak Elementary Students Get Wired The Kodiak High School Commons was invaded by about 100 elementary school students on Tuesday to kick off a new school program that puts notebook computers into the hands of students. Kodiak is one of 18 school districts selected to take part in the first year of the AASB Consortium for Digital Learning. 2006-11-17 All the Children are our Children Asset #14 refers to adult role models. It says youth are more likely to grow up healthy when parents and other adults model positive, responsible behavior. 2006-11-15 Ketchikan's Asset Builder of the Month Doug Edwards, the Culinary Arts teacher at Ketchikan High School, has high expectations of all of his students and cares deeply about them. Through his positive interactions with all of the students at Kayhi, he is helping to create a caring school environment. 2006-11-14 Students get hands on pilot program laptops The sixth-graders at North Pole Middle School, like most of the students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, have to bring pencils, notepads and textbooks to school each day. But the 60 or so sixth-graders at North Pole Middle will now have a slightly more expensive piece of hardware in their backpacks. 2006-11-13 New Youth Center Coming to Juneau Juneau doesn’t exactly have many positive options for young people to get together and hang out. Members of the Juneau Christian Center are working to change that. They are building a modern youth center complete with computer stations, pool tables, homework areas with iPod connections, and even a climbing wall. 2006-11-10 Joel's Place Supports Youth of Fairbanks Each year Alaska ICE, through its Faith Communities project, offers stipends to faith communities statewide for youth-adult community service projects. Joel's Place recently received two stipends for creative, asset-building activities that will enrich the communtiy of Fairbanks. 2006-11-08 Research in Youth Development As positive youth development moves from being primarily a field of practice toward having increased credibility in academic research institutions, how much agreement is there in how it is understood and defined? 2006-11-07 A Pumpkinful Weekend Halloween is busy time of year around the Nenana Student Living Center. The 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving and Painting contest was just held, producing impressive results. 2006-11-07 Snowball fights, or as I like to put it: Death from Above As the Dean of Students, I often wonder how the students see me and wonder what I can do to lighten the situation, to let them know that I care about them and that I enforce policy to keep them safe. In other words, how do I show the students that I’m human? Luckily, one snowy Saturday such an opportunity came to me. 2006-11-07 I wanna dance, dance, dance my dancies out The Inupiaq dance group is a diverse group of students who meet for the sheer joy of being able to dance and celebrate their heritage. 2006-11-03 Teens and Adults Connect in Ketchikan Picture this: 65 teens and adults of different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, sitting around tables eating, and talking about important issues. It was a wonderful event aimed at strengthening the community and supporting the youth of Ketchikan. 2006-11-02 Asset of the Month November is Boundaries and Expectations Month 2006-10-31 No Emotion Left Behind The debate over education reform has tended to divide children's learning along two axes, the emotional and the academic. The important news: The two kinds of learning are intimately connected. 2006-10-27 Welcome Search Institute Conference Attendees! The Association of Alaska School Boards’ Initiative for Community Engagement (Alaska ICE) is proud to take part in the 2006 Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Conference of the Search Institute. 2006-10-27 The Moon's Sister This story, created by students of Saint Paul and Saint George Schools, is the weaving of a traditional Unangan tale with historical and contemporary accounts. 2006-10-21 Harvard Graduate School of Education Recognizes Alaska ICE AASB, through the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement (ICE), has been working to get adults involved in the everyday lives of schoolchildren. Publication of the book, Helping Kids Succeed – Alaska Style, in 1998 marked the first step... 2006-10-20 Alaska Native Student Vitality 45 Alaska Native community leaders, community members, and advocates were interviewed about their definitions of Alaska Native student success and their ideas about the characteristics of effective schools for Alaska Native students. 2006-10-19 The Power of Caring Weissberg and Durlak’s 2005 study of more than 300 programs shows that academic and social-emotional learning are “intimately connected,” and that SEL programs “significantly improve students’ academic performance.” 2006-10-10 Sitka Students Experience Change of Heart Some Sitka students took part in a daylong retreat encouraging them to take steps to initiate or nurture positive relationships, intercede when someone is saying or doing something mean to another person, and use their personal power to make a difference. 2006-10-10 Wrangell Youth Build Assets in Adults A multi-grade elementary class has adopted the senior citizens of Wrangell to show they care about them. 2006-10-06 Daily Activity: Talk About People You Admire Whether it is a big sister, a firefighter, your dad, or your 9th grade English teacher, the people you admire say a lot about what matters to you, what you value, and who has shaped your life. 2006-10-05 Alaska ICE Research Research behind assets from Search, ICE, etc. 2006-10-05 Alternative school, union launch job-training program Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School and a local union in Juneau have started a school-to-apprenticeship program they hope will keep students in class and help them find jobs after they graduate. 2006-10-03 An Evening with PAMYUA Students and staff of the Nenana Student Living Center were treated to a charismatic performance by the talented Native musicians of Pamyua, at a concert in Fairbanks. 2006-10-03 Empowerment Month October is Empowerment Month! Young people need to feel valued and valuable. This happens when they feel safe, when they believe that they are liked and respected, and when they make positive contributions to their families and communities! 2006-10-02 Girls Gone Wilderness: Fall Edition There is nothing quite like camping to get you immersed in your surroundings. A brave group of girls participated in our second annual “Girls Gone Wilderness” camping excursion to Denali National Park. 2006-09-29 Growth in PILARS Program Peers Initiative for Leading Attitude through Responsibility and Service (PILARS) is a group of upperclassmen students at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, who dedicate themselves to taking a positive role in the lives of others. 2006-09-25 Learning to Tell Stories Maybe you've seen them out there with note pads, microphones and cameras, talking to officials and everyday people. They're kids, and they're asking lots of questions. They want to know why things are the way they are, what needs to change, and what it all means. 2006-09-25 Just the Dudes Sometimes it’s good to get away from it all with a couple of the fellas…that is just what I had the opportunity to do this past weekend. 2006-09-20 DPAC engages Dillingham Community The Dillingham Parent Advisory Committee (DPAC) is a group of child advocates that promotes the healthy development of children, youth, and communities. 2006-09-15 Love and Support Asset message of the Week: Family Support 2006-09-10 Wrangell Sees Fewer Risk Behaviors in its Youth Wrangell's QS2 efforts (2002-2005) followed earlier asset building activities, and were highly community-based, involving many of the community's youth-serving organizations, encouraging interagency coordination that continues today. 2006-09-08 Meth Awareness Night in Unalaska Organizations within the Unalaska community got together with youth and adults to discuss the dangers and realities of Methamphetamines. 2006-09-08 Native Students Deserve Our Support As students return to the classroom this fall, they take another step closer to achieving all the benefits a good education can provide -- better jobs, higher incomes, higher levels of community participation and lower levels of unemployment and poverty. 2006-09-06 Dive-In Movie Welcomes Students to G.I.L.A. The hall staff at Galena Interior Learnng Academy (G.I.L.A.) had a fabulous tropical plan for welcoming students to Galena this year. With great ingenuity and enthusiasm, the staff organized the ultimate in tropical Alaskan parties… a Dive-In movie! 2006-08-29 Living and Learning with the Youth of Alaska Read the stories submitted from Residence Life staff members working in Alaska's residential boarding high schools. These professional staffers do indeed live in the residence halls with the students - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 2006-08-22 Rural districts make academic gains Bering Strait Superintendent John Davis wearies of the idea that making Adequate Yearly Progress means succeeding, and missing it means failure. Despite the deceptive labels, these schools are improving. 2006-08-16 Motivation to Learn As children return to school, many parents are deciding what prize — if any — is appropriate to offer when kids get good grades. Adults who promise money, gifts or privileges say their children study harder when incentives are on the table. The lesson they hope to teach is that rewards require work. 2006-08-08 Read for the Record Join JumpStart and thousands of others and show your support for early learning in a shared reading experience with your young ones. 2006-07-26 Jam Sessions in Delta Junction Alaska ICE and the Delta Greely School District are sponsoring a new activity in Delta Junction called "Jam Sessions," encouraging local musicians of all ages to come together to play, learn from one another, build relationships, and have fun. 2006-07-24 Summer's cool for school Around the city, thousands of students have spent weeks behind desks in traditional classrooms, studying the basics and taking tests. But at KCC, the district's vocational high school, it's is a different story. 2006-07-17 Royal Family Kids' Camp Royal Family Kids' Camp is for children who have been abused or neglected. Most are in foster care or have been recently adopted. Fifty-two children fished for rainbow trout, canoed in the lake, caught minnows, went to chapel, sang Bible songs, and made arts and crafts. 2006-07-15 Drive-in Movie in Wrangell Typically, asset-building is thought of as adults supporting the youth of their community. But in some cases, the positive support and encouragement for youth is carried out by another youth. Such was the case in a project in Wrangell, Alaska. 2006-07-14 UAF Academic Boot Camp 47 students from rural communities throughout Alaska participated in the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Rural Alaska Honors Institute, which ran until July 12. 2006-07-06 Conservation Day at Thorne Bay On May 31st, Thorne Bay students in K - 6th grade spent a day learning about different natural resource conservation education topics and things that go on in their backyard, the Tongass National Forest. 2006-07-05 Cleaning the Pits! This year, as part of Community Cleanup, members of the Delta Youth Court, Kari Miller, Cari Dighton, Sandy Dighton, Katy Dighton, Ruby Bynum, Kelly, Rhandie, and Danny Zollman and Lowen Ewing took large trash bags, and gloves and cleaned the litter and debris surrounding the Gravel Pits to make for cleaner and safer swimming for all. 2006-07-01 QS2 Summer Enrichment This June Alaska ICE and the Delta Greely School District sponsored a 3-week Summer Enrichment program for all Delta Greely kids in grades 1-8. Over 40 kids participated in the program with 4 staff members, 5 teen volunteers, and up to 10 parent volunteers. 2006-06-27 2006 Artists’ TOPS a Success ICE staff Timi Tullis, Suzie Gaffney, and Allan Hayton conducted a successful Artists’ TOPS* training in Anchorage May 9 & 10, 2006. "We had a diverse and creative group of participants who shared many different talents, interests, and experiences." 2006-06-23 Teacher on the Trail The adventure of a lifetime, the highlight of a professional career, an unbelievable journey, a transforming experience. Try as I might, there are no words that can thoroughly or adequately summarize my journey as the 2006 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail for Iditarod XXXIV. 2006-06-20 Palmer student follows Gandhi's advice Kenni Psenak, a student representative on the Mat-Su School Board, is not afraid to speak her mind. Concerned that the 'youth voice' is not often heard and taken into account, Kenni makes the most out of her role as a student leader in the Mat-Su school district. 2006-06-15 PATCHWorks Poster Challenge A few months ago, PATCHWorks issued a friendly Poster Challenge to the students of Ketchikan’s elementary schools. The Challenge was designed not only to educate children about the Developmental Assets, but also to fuel and encourage creativity. 2006-06-12 2006 Juneau Youth Summit AASB/Alaska ICE's Kathy Buss took time out to visit with youth and get the teen perspective on youth-related issues at the Juneau Youth Summit this past April. 2006-06-09 Citizens of Ketchikan gather to TALK On May 17th, 60 people gathered for TALK (Teens and Adults Linking in Ketchikan), an evening of intergenerational visiting and conversation around issues of interest to the youth and adults in Ketchikan. 2006-05-23 Student of the Year chases her teaching dream Four years ago, Priscilla Ballot had a home, a family and a longstanding job at her local school. She didn’t know she soon would dream of accomplishing more. That changed in 2002 when Ballot, 47, an instructional aide at Davis-Ramoth School... 2006-05-22 Alaska ICE Resources Resources of Alaska ICE 2006-05-17 Dillingham's N&N Market Named Youth Friendly N&N Market was selected as a recipient of a Youth Friendly Business Award for 2006. On May 16th at a monthly Dillingham Chamber of Commerce meeting, N&N Market was formally recognized. 2006-05-11 Unalaska Community Golfs for Assets April 1st, 2006 the AKAOK team and the Unalaska City School District put together their first community engagement event. We played miniature Golf for knowledge on assets. 2006-05-10 Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre The Kahurangi Maori Dance theatre from New Zealand paid Nenana a visit in late April, bringing eight dancers. Their costume was impressive, as well as their repertoire of dance. The gymnasium came to life to the sound of drumbeats and native instruments. 2006-05-08 Something Good About Us All Thought for the day from Dottie Olson: Wouldn’t life be more happy, if we praised the good we see in each other? 2006-05-07 Engaging Community in Kwigillingok Asset building is more than just positive actions and relationship building; it’s an attitude, a way of thinking and behaving. It’s clear that the school staff in Kwigillingok is taking this to heart. 2006-05-02 Easter Giving The preparations for Easter started two weeks before the holiday- however, this year, it was the students getting ready and not the staff. A group of PILARS girls took it upon themselves to make sure the day was a special day for everyone at MEHS. 2006-05-02 Metlakatla Honor Student Wins Youth of the Year Award Metlakatla resident Creighton Boyd has been named the Youth of the Year for Alaska by Boys & Girls Club of America. 2006-05-01 North Slope Borough Launches New Youth Council A program is being set up in the North Slope that involves the creation of a Youth Advisory Council as part of a vision for Inupiat self-determination and empowerment in northern Alaska. Its purpose: to provide a voice for youth in decisions and policy. 2006-04-28 Pathways 2006: Statewide Conference Pathways 2006 marks the 10th biennial statewide conference for families and professionals who care for people with disabilities. As a collaborative effort between agencies and individuals throughout Alaska, Pathways provides a unique forum on disabilities and related issues. 2006-04-26 66th Annual Conference of the National School Boards Association This year's 66th Annual National School Board Association's Conference featured more than 300 clinics, workshops, and seminars designed to educate, inspire, and energize thousands of school leaders from across the country. 2006-04-25 SO-AK School Programs Help Underscore State Education Policy Studies prove that Special Olympics is an ideal partner for meeting the education mandates of state law and policy. Through sports and related programs, the Special Olympics Alaska School Program (SOAK-SP) promotes not only physical fitness but also an understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. 2006-04-24 Things Don’t Always Go As Planned… About one week ago an adult volunteer from the community of Sitka and I took ten students out to a remote Alaska Forest Service cabin to spend a couple of days. 2006-04-20 Young people offer hope...Goodall says Jane Goodall gave the audience at the Third General Session of NSBA's 66th annual conference a frank assessment of the state of the environment and a reason for hope for a better tomorrow. 2006-04-19 Conarro theatrically serves community If life's a stage, Ryan Conarro has found his part as he balances his love for theater with a sense of community service. 2006-04-18 Mad Hot Classroom At Glacier Valley Elementary School, girls are wearing dresses, boys are clamoring to wear ties and the codes of dance-floor etiquette are trickling into everyday classroom behavior. 2006-04-11 Sharing Our Fears, Making Us Stronger Over the course of my career I have had the opportunity to develop and post many bulletin boards in residence halls. Few however, have been as successful as this most recent one that I posted this past month. The topic: "What is your greatest fear?" 2006-04-10 Asset 10: Safety Asset #10 encourages safety within the home, school and community. Safety is an important empowerment asset. Children and teens who feel safe are more likely to feel secure enough to try new things, and take healthy risks. 2006-04-07 What Part of Mediocre Don’t We Get? Children are our future. Our national well-being is directly proportional to how well children and adolescents grow, learn and thrive...so, how is it going with America’s kids? 2006-04-06 Spirit of Youth Salutes 2006 Award Winners SOY Award Winners 2006 2006-03-31 Learning to Connect Through the Arts Apply now to be a part of our upcoming Training Of Promoters and Storytellers (TOPS) for Artists! This is a NO COST, two-day training to be held in Anchorage May 9-10, 2006 and is open to any artist or arts organization committed to helping Alaskan youth succeed. 2006-03-28 It Starts with Singing On March 17th the girls of Heritage Hall hosted a karaoke contest with food, door prizes, and cash prizes for the winners. When the singing started at 7:30 the only place left for late arrivals was standing room. 2006-03-24 Sitka Youth Respond, Receive Award The Sitka Youth First Responders have meant a great deal to their community. They were chosen to receive the 2006 Spirit of Youth Lifesavers and Prevention Award! 2006-03-22 Native Sons “Play before you go to bed at night, and the first thing when you wake up in the morning,” sage advice from Willie Fields…“the music sinks in better that way.” Willie has mentored young musicians of Fort Yukon for many years. 2006-03-22 Students Cheer on Mushers at Galena Checkpoint Students gathered at the old community hall to greet mushers as they reached the Galena Iditarod Checkpoint, on March 10 and 11. Students stood on the banks of the Yukon in search of the first sign of dog teams. 2006-03-22 Bekah Peterson Shares Her Spirit Bekah Peterson was nominated for a 2006 Spirit of Youth Award in the Service to Community category. Bekah consistently volunteers to help with service projects in and around her community... 2006-03-20 Yupik Dance Group Travels to AWG 2006 This past week the eight members from the Yupik Dance Group at Mt. Edgecumbe High School (M.E.H.S.) traveled to Kenai, Alaska to participate in the 2006 Arctic Winter Games (AWG). 2006-03-17 Bridges This month, both Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe High track teams are gathering once again to prepare for the upcoming season. 2006-03-17 Peer Helpers On March 12th, Sitka High's Peer Helpers hosted a free lunch time ice cream social... 2006-03-17 Sno-Go Mojo Dacho Alexander volunteers as a mentor at Sno-Go Mojo, a snow machine repair/maintenence shop, with young people ages 9 and up. The students breathe new fire into older, yet reliable snow machines. Dacho explains: "I'm constantly surprised by their creativity." 2006-03-16 Studying Arts Increases Kids Smarts The arts at Main Elementary go beyond construction-paper creations meant to hang on refrigerators. There are workshops on spoken word poetry, powerful visual arts, a gallery showcasing student interpretation of paintings, drama projects, dance... 2006-03-15 Mission Statement for the Unalaska Faith Group Mission Statement of the Unalaska All-Faith Youth Group 2006-03-14 Dedication There are some students here at MEHS who could stand to learn a little bit about perseverance and dedication to a task. There are some who can devote themselves to a whole task and be completely ensconced in it that it manages their lives. Luckily... 2006-03-13 Etiquette Dinner at the NSLC Softly glowing candles and crisp, white linen napkins set the tone for the Etiquette Dinner last Saturday evening. 2006-03-10 GILA Student Shows the Spirit of Youth Dorothy Walker isn’t your normal high school student. She is not afraid to be different or discuss issues that other teens might ignore. After being nominated for a Spirit of Youth Award by dorm counselor Stacey Graham for a project she did on Earth Day... 2006-03-10 Basket-bowling What do you get when you mix basketball with bowling? You get basket-bowling, of course! On February 17, 2006 balls were flying and pins were falling in the gym of Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA). 2006-03-01 Preserving Heritage and Culture “Why do you feel it is important to preserve your native culture/heritage or the culture/heritage you come from?” Christine Kagak tackles this question in an student essay contest at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. 2006-02-28 Government Up Close 15 students from across the state meet lawmakers to learn how politics work in the Alaska Close Up program. 2006-02-28 OPERA ON THE EDGE, My Visit to Kotzebue ...I realized that I now understood so much more about my state and its people and culture. I knew I’d been changed by this place, and would never be the same. My gratitude for this learning opportunity continues to enlighten everything I do... 2006-02-23 Reading with Homer in Scammon Bay Homer Hunter grew up in Scammon Bay and wanted to do a project that would help the community – so at the age of 48, he joined Ameri-Corp as a VISTA volunteer. 2006-02-22 TOPS In Dutch Harbor In January 2006 we had the pleasure of Shelly Eidsness joining 28 of our local teens and adults to teach the Assets framework & visit with us here in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska. 2006-02-21 Seniors Use Experience to Help Freshmen Adjust in New Program A Washington state partnership developed in late 2003 helps incoming freshman understand the importance of their high school careers -- and what it takes to graduate. 2006-02-21 Empowerment and the Value of Appreciation Everyone wants to feel valued and be valuable, but it’s easy for children and teenagers to feel as if they have little to contribute. In our fast-paced lives, it’s often easier to do things for young people instead of |
