Arctic Regional Student Gathering Recap
By Jake Stoops for the Arctic Sounder
The Future Educators of Alaska held their Arctic Regional Gathering November 5-6 in Kotzebue for 70 middle school students from Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk and Shungnak and the Bering Straits School District. The conference, run in partnership with the NWABSD's Youth Leaders Program, focused both on promoting the teaching profession and building leadership skills such as public speaking and team-building. Previously, the FEA held the Western Regional Gathering in Bethel, October 21-22.
In her opening remarks to the students on Friday evening, Melissa Hill, the FEA's Principal Investigator, noted that more than 900 teachers from out of state are hired in Alaska every year. The problem is magnified in rural districts where retention can be a real challenge.
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Katelin Delaney, the Assistant Director of the FEA echoed Hill's comments.
"Most out-of-state teachers average about two years," said Delaney. "Not only are teachers from their own village more likely to have a longer tenure, no one can instill and promote culture in the classroom like they can. There is no substitution for the life experiences and values an Inupiaq teacher can offer a class of Inupiaq students, for example."
The Regional Gathering focused on workshops that included Caring About Others, Interview Skills, Alaska Native Education, Goal Setting, Student Behavior on Trips, Drugs and Alcohol, First Impressions and Non Verbal Body Language, Bullying and Art Appreciation. One unique aspect of the program was the participation of the NWABSD's Youth Leaders Program, headed by Michelle Woods. The high school student participation as counselors, chaperons and discussion leaders was able to mentor the younger students as only peers could.
"We really mixed in games and activities between lectures," said Youth Leader Ember Eck, a Kotzebue High School freshman. "It is important to keep them moving so they stay interested and focused because they have so much energy."
This is Eck's second year working with the Youth Leaders, but the first time she has worked as a counselor.
"I was overwhelmed and intimidated at first because of all the people who came before me. There have been so many Youth Leaders who have done such a good job. But once we got started, I was able to use my own personal experiences to draw from and Thomas Baker, Alysha Nanouk and Bobby Newlin and the other Youth Leaders are really good to work with."
Eck led a discussion on proper behavior during travel and was able to use examples of her school trips to Anchorage for cross country and state science fair.
"We talked about how important it is to get into a routine and to stay patient. You really have to be able to go with the flow when things don't go as planned, because a lot of things are out of your control anyway and your attitude will affect those around you."
As the conference wore down and the Youth Leaders began to reflect on the successful weekend, Eck was quick to credit program coordinators Woods and Roger Franklin.
"(Woods and Franklin) are really easy going, but you also know when it's time to be serious. They don't make it feel like they're getting after you, but at the same time, you don't want them getting after you."
The Future Educators of Alaska now move on to the Interior Regional Gathering in Fairbanks later this month, before finishing up with the Southeast Regional Gathering in Juneau December 5-6.
"Our mission is to grow our own teachers," said Delaney. "The staff of a school keeps the pump running to make everything flow. We have some great programs in the State working independently and we would like to link groups like the Youth Leaders here in the Northwest Arctic with the University of Alaska and Native Corporations so that we can bridge the gap, combine our resources and all work together."
The FEA was developed in 2003 and is currently running on its third, three-year federal Indian Education grant. They have recently partnered with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ summer Rural Alaska Honors Institute to re-incorporate an education component that has not been a part of the program in more than 10 years. They are also piloting high school courses in Careers in Education in Dillingham and in the Pribilof School District. Another program the FEA has implemented is the Native Alaska Educator Poster Series to recognize educators who have made significant contributions to the teaching profession in rural Alaska communities.
"It's amazing to see how students react to people who look like them," said Delaney. "It's one thing for them to talk about becoming a teacher, but when we can show them examples of people from similar backgrounds who have become successful, it really opens their eyes."
Current Native Alaskan educators in the Northwest Arctic Borough School District include Buckland's Principal Terri Walker and Matthew Berlin, Darren Zibell and Vera Sheldon in Noorvik, Velma Jones, Norman and Donna Westdahl in Noatak, Janice Westlake in Kiana and Craig McConnell, the District’s Maintenance Director and Cheryl Edenshaw, the Director of the Alaska Technical Center. Pauline Harvey, who has served as a principal in Kivalina is now the Director at Chukchi College and the majority of the 200 classified staff employed by the district are Alaskan Native as well.
"We are very fortunate to have some wonderful teachers who grew up in the district return to teach here," said NWABSD Superintendent Dr. Norm Eck. "There is no substitution for the type of role-modeling that a home-grown teacher can bring to the classroom. We also have a number of local coaches, cooks, maintenance workers, secretaries and aides that do an outstanding job as well. I think they can sometimes get overlooked, but they are in the schools and have contact with our students every day and are vital to making our schools the best they can be."
