- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Last Call, New, Reminder
February 2023
Looking for Professional Development? Check out the AKLearns Event Calendar!
LAST CALL!
Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE) Conference 2023
ASTE 2023 will be at the Hotel Captain Cook on February 18-22nd! The ASTE Board for 2022-2023, under the direction of President, Bill Burr, has selected Education Rewired as our theme. The idea is to reignite the spark in education and reinvent, redefine, and reimagine the work we do. The image we want our participants to picture is one where education across the globe was stretched and flattened. We entered the wormhole one way, but we are going to come out the other side in a new dimension that is better than we could have imagined. We want our attendees to ignite that spark that led them to become an educator. Our attendees will leave feeling reignited, passionate, and reenergized!
The Call for Proposal to Present is open through October 1, 2022. Registration will open after the schedule is finalized so participants can register and sign up for sessions at the same time. Interested vendors/exhibitors should contact director@aste.org.
Please visit www.aste.org/conference for more information.
NEW!
Alaska Contemporary Art Bank: 2023 Call for Art
The Alaska State Council on the Arts is requesting applications of visual artwork to purchase for the Alaska Contemporary Art Bank. Alaskan artists are invited to submit up to 6 recent works in any media. Purchased works become part of a lending collection displayed throughout state public areas. Only works priced at under $4,000 will be considered. Submission deadline is 9:59 PM AKT, March 31, 2023.
Alaska Artistic License Plate: 2023 Call for Art
The Alaska State Council on the Arts invites artists of all ages to submit their design for the 2023 Artistic License Plate Competition. The winning design will be distributed and sold at DMVS across the state through 2027. The spirit of this competition is to encourage creativity, celebrate our unique experiences living in Alaska, and highlight the importance of engaging with art in our daily lives. ASCA administers this competition in keeping with their mission to advance creativity as a core civic value and identity for Alaska. Semi-finalists will receive a $250 honorarium, and the selected artist will be awarded $1000. Additionally, applicants under the age of 18 are eligible for a $50 honorarium, awarded by grade level. Submission deadline is 9:59 PM AKT, March 31, 2023.
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium invites registration for the 2023 Administrator Arts Retreat in Kodiak March 30-21, 2023. The Administrator Arts Retreat is designed for Principals and District Office Leaders, and is hosted by the Kodiak Island Borough School District, in partnership with the Alaska Arts Education Consortium, and with support from the Munartet Project and The Alaska Comprehensive Literacy Development Project. Priority will be given to administrators of schools on the DEED Comprehensive Support and Improvement list. This two-day session addresses a common need to improve student engagement with learning that leads to positive outcomes, in alignment with school improvement efforts. It is designed to increase local impact by arming administrators with effective strategies to meet their needs, interests and experience levels in order to amplify learning in and through the arts and cultures. KIBSD’s Munartet Program will cover the cost of lodging for the first 15 registrants from off Kodiak Island. We will have information about lodging deals coming soon. For complete information and registration visit https://akartsed.org/educators/administrator-arts-retreat-2023/.
AlaskaCAN! 2023 Conference: Moving Forward Together
The Alaska Postsecondary Access & Completion Network (AlaskaCAN) is thrilled to bring together colleagues and partners from across Alaska for its 9th Annual AlaskaCAN! Conference! The Core Purpose of AlaskaCAN is to advocate for Alaskans to pursue postsecondary workforce development pathways. This year's Conference theme, Moving Forward Together, builds on the shared vision of Alaska’s education and workforce stakeholders – if we are to find ways to improve postsecondary attainment and workforce readiness in Alaska, we must do so together! We are looking forward to returning to our first in-person AlaskaCAN! Conference since 2020 with interactive speakers, panels, and work sessions!
Exciting details about our speakers, panelists, and sessions will be shared soon!
WHEN: March 2 & 3, 2023
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM/Each Day
WHERE: Marriott Anchorage Downtown
AGENDA: Coming Soon!
REGISTRATION:
$275/Early Bird (available until January 31, 2023)
$150/Conference Speaker/Presenter
Students Attend Free (available to current high school seniors, college/career training students, and apprentices)
To take advantage of these special rates, visit AlaskaCAN! 2023 Conference Eventbrite page.
To learn more about the Conference sponsorship opportunities, click HERE.
Please direct any questions to Dominika Szpotanska, AlaskaCAN Administrative Liaison, at 65by2025@gmail.com
2023 AlaskaCAN Board of Directors Nominations
The Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network (AlaskaCAN) is currently accepting nominations for individuals to serve on its Board of Directors. The core purpose of AlaskaCAN is to advocate for Alaskans to pursue postsecondary workforce development pathways through which we share the value of postsecondary, workforce-connected learning and participation. If you are a passionate advocate for education and career training opportunities for all Alaskans, and would you like to make a positive impact in your community, consider joining the Board of Directors for AlaskaCAN! AlaskaCAN relies on the efforts and expertise of its Board Directors to guide the successful development of the organization by voting on policy decisions and collaboratively setting and accomplishing goals through committee participation. Any AlaskaCAN member can nominate him/herself or another member to be a candidate on the election ballot. If you are not an AlaskaCAN member yet, the Nomination Form serves as the AlaskaCAN Membership Application. To review the AlaskaCAN Board of Directors Expectations and Responsibilities, please click HERE.
AlaskaCAN is now accepting nominations for the following Board of Director seats*:
- 1 Alaska Native (3-year Term: 2023-2026)
- 1 At Large (3-year Term: 2023-2026)
- 1 Community Organization/Non-Profit (3-year Term: 2023-2026)
- 1 Postsecondary Student Services (3-year Term: 2023-2026)
- 1 Registered Apprenticeship (3-year Term: 2023-2026)
*In order to be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors, an individual must be an AlaskaCAN member, sixteen (16) years of age or older. To be eligible to serve in a designated seat affiliation, the individual must meet established seat classification criteria (found HERE).
Individuals seeking nominations should fill out the 2023 AlaskaCAN Board of Directors Nomination Form and submit it no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
If you have any questions regarding the election process, please contact Dominika Szpotanska, AlaskaCAN Administrative Liaison, at 65by2025@gmail.com.
REMINDER!
Internet Discount Through the Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government program run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices like a laptop or tablet.
You are likely eligible if your household’s income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line, or if you or someone you live with currently receives a government benefit like SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, Pell Grant, or Free and Reduced-Price Lunch.
If your household is eligible, you could receive:
- Up to a $30/month discount on your internet service
- Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
- A low cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP*
Learn more and check your eligibility at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/
SERRC Hiring Rural Empowerment Specialist for Successful School Improvement
A cohort of five schools is working with DEED, R16CC, and SERRC on a new three-year school improvement plan process. The Rural Empowerment for School Improvement engages the school and community in addressing student needs within the local context. Next school year, more schools will have the opportunity to also work through the new school improvement plan process. If you are interested in becoming an Empowerment Specialist supporting schools on their path to improvement please reach out to Julie Staley, SERRC Executive Director, julies@serrc.org and apply here Empowerment Specialist
International Dyslexia Association - Alaska Branch - Continuing Education Scholarships
Scholarships are available through the International Dyslexia Association, Alaska Branch (IDA Alaska) for professional development opportunities – good for classroom educators, advocates, or parents. Also, check out the new FREE one-year membership for teachers!
IDA branches across the nation, as well as other organizations aligned with the Science of Reading, are successfully presenting high-quality virtual conferences, webinars, certification programs, and continuing education programs. IDA Alaska compiled a list of recommended opportunities and hopes to support educators on their continuing education journey. Continuing education opportunities not on this list, if aligned with the Science of Reading, can be eligible upon approval. For more information on IDA Alaska scholarship awards (up to $500 per participant) visit: www.ak.dyslexiaida.org, or go to IDA Alaska’s 2021 Q2 Newsletter
Enhanced Learning Maps Project helps students personalize path the student success
Enhanced Learning Maps provide standards-focused materials that foster the conditions for improving student achievement, including online tools deliberately designed to support and inform personalized learning.
These tools encourage interactions that elicit evidence of student thinking, leading to conversations that engage students and teachers in formative assessment processes.
Lee Waters, Ed.D. with the Anchorage School District in collaboration with the UAA Center for Human Development LEND Without Walls has created a manual to assist all those involved with the education of students with disabilities. This manual is designed to be a helpful resource for anyone involved with the transitional needs of students with disabilities from secondary to postsecondary education. The manual is available through ASD’s website: https://www.asdk12.org/PostsecondaryTransitionManual.
The Parent’s Guide to Filling out the FAFSA Form
While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is the student’s application, we know that parents often play a large role in the process. With that in mind, the U.S. Department of Education wanted to provide instructions for parents who are starting the FAFSA form on behalf of their child.
U.S. Department of Education Releases Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide
The U.S. Department of Education released a new Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide, a resource to help parents and guardians understand how digital tools can provide tailored learning opportunities, engage students with course materials, encourage creative expression, and enrich the educational experience.
Are you interested in dual enrollment opportunities at the University of Alaska? Members of the University of Alaska Transition Coalition (UATC) are available to assist with curriculum alignment, dual enrollment, and other opportunities that support the transition of secondary students to continue their training and education at the postsecondary level.
Girls Who Code at Home Activities
Girls Who Code releases free computer science activities for students, educators, and parents on Mondays. Some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty. Each activity features a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.
Awareness Materials on Family and Youth Homelessness
As a result of the pandemic, and without the usual methods of outreach and identification, many families and youth experiencing homelessness may be even more disconnected from school and early childhood programs. The SchoolHouse Connection created PSAs and a social media toolkit to help raise awareness and provide information around educational rights.
Online Story Circles for Educators and Community Members
Educator Story Circles are opportunities for small groups of people (educators and engaged community members) to gather together to listen and share thoughts and stories related to a common theme. No preparation is necessary, and each participant has the option to share or simply listen to others. Story Circles aren’t about performing. Rather, the purpose is to listen and connect. Participants who want to lead Story Circles with their own students or community members will have access to a free toolkit and will be eligible for a $200 stipend from the Alaska Humanities Forum.