YKSD Book Slam, Yukon-Koyukuk School District

DEED Spotlight on the YKSD Book Slam, Yukon-Koyukuk School District

Each year the schools in the Yukon-Koyukuk School District host two-day “Book Slam” workshops. Through a partnership with the Alaska Association of School Boards, students, teachers, elders, community members, and district staff participate in illustrating, translating, and narrating books, which feature local stories, language, and culture.

A Book Slam is a two-day onsite workshop in which participants create a storyboard, develop illustrations and dioramas, video clips, and the text and audio narration for the books. Elders participate to lend native language translation, narration, and local knowledge and history to the stories.

The result of the two-day collaborative Book Slam workshops is a wonderful collection of interactive and digital books about life and culture along Alaska’s Yukon and Koyukuk rivers.

Take a look at YKSD’s interactive books from the 2019-2020 school year.

Thank you, YKSD, for empowering your community to share their local stories, language, and culture!