- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 45 No. 2
Inside This Edition:
- Alaska School Nutrition Association to Meet Next Week in Anchorage
- Time is Running Out to Submit Creative Writing to UAA/Alaska Dispatch Contest
- Historical Records Board Offers Journeymen Archivists
- Calista Offers Marine Apprenticeships
- Ernestine Hayes Named State Writer Laureate of Alaska
- Article Highlights Work of SERRC and Rural Districts
- Alaska Safe Children’s Act – Special Notice for School Districts
- Alaska National Park Service Academy is Recruiting Young Adults Age 18 and Up
- Photographer Ben Huff to Lecture in Juneau on January 19
- First Lady and Mrs. Mallott Encourage Pick.Click.Give.
- State Board to Meet by Audio Conference January 27
- Nominations Sought for Secondary School Principal, Assistant Principal Awards
- Inclusive Practice Award 2017
- Court System and Bar Offer Art Contest for Grades K-8
- Award Honors Teachers Who Innovate
- Free Summer Science and Wilderness Expeditions Accepts Girls Ages 16 to 17
Contact Us
- Eric Fry: (907) 465-2851
Subscription
Alaska School Nutrition Association to Meet Next Week in Anchorage
Alaska School Nutrition Association (AKSNA) conference is the only annual meeting that gathers school nutrition professionals from across the state to learn the latest trends, attend education sessions, share best practices, taste test healthy foods and preview new equipment and technology. The pre-conference is on January 16; the conference is on January 17 to 19.
AKSNA members learn about foods and recipes that meet federal nutrition standards, appeal to students and fit within tight school meal program budgets. Recent regulations require school meals to include more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fewer calories and lower fat and sodium. The AKSNA conference offers school nutrition professionals opportunities to identify successful strategies to improve menus while meeting the unique challenges of feeding Alaska’s children.
Conference highlights include keynote speaker, nationally recognized child nutrition expert Dayle Hayes, MS, RD from School Meals that Rock! and representatives from: the Institute of Child Nutrition, The Washington Dairy Council, The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, and the Humane Society of the United States.
Time is Running Out to Submit Creative Writing to UAA/Alaska Dispatch Contest
Only one month is left to enter the 35th Creative Writing Contest coordinated by the Alaska Center for the Book and sponsored by the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Dispatch News. All ages are invited to submit their best efforts in poetry, fiction, and/or nonfiction. Winning entries are awarded cash prizes, announced in the Alaska Dispatch News with excerpts of selected entries, and posted in the online edition of the paper and on LitSite Alaska (LitSite.org). View Alaska Dispatch News for more information. Questions should be emailed to Sara Juday at creativewritingcontest@alaskadispatch.com. Submission deadline is February 10.
Historical Records Board Offers Journeymen Archivists
The Alaska State Historical Records Advisory Board (ASHRAB), which promotes the collection, preservation, and accessibility of historical records in Alaskan repositories, is sponsoring a Journeyman Archival Processing Program. This venture will fund the work and travel of two journeyman-level archivists as they travel to an Alaskan repository and offer six weeks of hands-on archival arrangement and description services.
The program, which seeks to organize, preserve, and share information regarding Alaska’s historical records online, is available to boroughs, municipalities, non-profits, and tribal organizations. Institutions interested in applying for the services of a journeyman-level archivist should contact Acting State Archivist Zachary Jones at zachary.jones@alaska.gov for an application. Applications are due February 5.
The ASHRAB will award two institutions with the services of a journeyman archivist. There will be an emphasis on servicing small to medium-sized institutions. Preference will be given to unprocessed collections that document the history of Alaska.
Two journeyman archivists will be hired pursuant to a nationwide search but special consideration will be given to Alaska-based talent. The National Historical Publications & Records Commission, a body of the National Archives, has provided nearly $18,000 for this project. Questions regarding the Journeyman Archival Processing Program may be directed to the Acting State Archivist Zachary R. Jones at zachary.jones@alaska.gov.
Calista Offers Marine Apprenticeships
Calista Corp. has registered its marine apprentice program with the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprentices will begin training at AVTEC in Seward starting in spring 2017; qualified apprentices will be placed on boats by summer. To meet the subsistence needs of Alaskans, there are two types of apprenticeships. Contact Brenda Pacarro at bpacarro@calistacorp.com or 907-275-2818.
Ernestine Hayes Named State Writer Laureate of Alaska
Ernestine Hayes, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, has been named State Writer Laureate of Alaska by the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Alaska Humanities Forum. “Ernestine Hayes brings passion and intellect to everything she says and writes,” said Benjamin Brown, chair of the arts council.
Ms. Hayes is the author of two novels. "Blonde Indian," published in 2006, was named a Native America Calling Book of the Month and received an American Book Award, as well as an Honoring Alaska Indigenous Literature Award. The book was a finalist for the 2007 Kiriyama Prize, and the 2007 PEN Nonfiction Award. In 2016, Blonde Indian was selected as the first book for the Alaska Reads project, a series of readings that connect Alaskans through the work of a living Alaskan writer. Her most recent work, published in October 2016, is "The Tao of Raven: an Alaskan Native Memoir." Her work on the book was supported by an Artist in Residence award from the Rasmuson Foundation.
Ms. Hayes was born in Juneau, a member of the Kaagwaantaan clan. At the age of 15 she moved to California and returned to Alaska at the age of 40. After struggling through a period of homelessness, Hayes began her connection with the University of Alaska Southeast at the age of 50 when she enrolled as a student with a GED. She graduated magna cum laude at the age of 55 from UAS with a bachelor of liberal arts degree in 2001, and went on to earn her master of fine arts degree in creative writing at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2003. Hayes has been teaching English at UAS since 2004. She has been featured as a keynote during the popular Evening at Egan lecture series. Along with others at UAS, she has also been involved with Tlingit language revitalization.
Article Highlights Work of SERRC and Rural Districts
The Association of Educational Service Agencies has published an article about cross-sector partnerships that result in technology-infused, culturally responsive professional development. The topic is the Southeast Regional Resource Center’s federal Alaska Native Program Grant, in which SERRC works with eight remote Alaska school districts and Native leaders to improve teaching quality for Native students.
Alaska Safe Children’s Act – Special Notice for School Districts
There will be two webinar opportunities next week to help districts prepare to implement the Alaska Safe Children’s Act, which goes into effect June 30, 2017. The same presentation will be provided twice; it will review the requirements of the act and provide information on resources and financial assistance available to districts for implementation.
Alaska Safe Children's Act Webinar. Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2017. Time: 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Call in: 1-855-244-8681 toll-free number. Meeting number (access code): 809 804 664. Join the WebEx meeting.
Alaska Safe Children's Act Webinar (repeated presentation). Date: Thursday, January 19, 2017. Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Call in: 1-855-244-8681 toll-free number. Meeting number (access code): 807 844 690. Join the WebEx meeting.
Pre-registration is not necessary, however it would be helpful to notify Patricia Owen at Patricia.Owen@alaska.gov of your district’s participation and date in advance. For more information contact Patty Owen at 907-465-2939.
Alaska National Park Service Academy is Recruiting Young Adults Age 18 and Up
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is recruiting young adults, age 18 to 35, in Alaska for a spring break orientation and a variety of expense-paid internships with the National Park Service (NPS) in Alaska. Join 20 young adults in Seward during the week of March 12 for a week of workshops and recreation. If selected, you will go on to complete a 12-week summer internship at a NPS site in Alaska. Learn more and hone your skills in public speaking, wildlife management, native habitat restoration, cultural resources, operations and more career fields. The NPS Academy is a workforce diversity initiative that strives to recruit young adults from under-represented communities.
Benefits: SCA will provide transportation, lodging, and food for the orientation. The summer internship comes with a $1,115 travel allowance, free housing, $200 per week living allowance; most positions come with a $1,500 AmeriCorps Education Award. If the position is in Anchorage or Fairbanks, interns receive a $1,000 monthly housing allowance instead of free housing.
For eligibility and to apply visit thesca.org/nps-academy-alaska. Recruiter Jeff Chen is available for questions at jchen@thesca.org or 907-717-8414. Apply by February 1.
Photographer Ben Huff to Lecture in Juneau on January 19
Photographer Ben Huff will give a lecture at 5:30 p.m. January 19 at the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff building in Juneau. The building, at 395 Whittier Street, houses the Alaska State Library, the Alaska State Museum, and the Alaska State Archives. Mr. Huff is an Alaska-based portrait and landscape photographer and founder of the Ice Fog Press. The lecture is part of the Alaska Positive Lecture Series in conjunction with the Alaska Positive exhibit, which runs through January 21. See museums.alaska.gov.
First Lady and Mrs. Mallott Encourage Pick.Click.Give.
First Lady Donna Walker and Mrs. Toni Mallott are asking Alaskans to consider using their PDF application to add a donation to an Alaska charity.
Dear Alaskan, Another year passes and we are so grateful to be part of Alaska’s close-knit community. Alaskans are known for banding together when times are tough and celebrating as one when great strides are made. This January offers an opportunity to continue our history of rallying together as a state. Whether it be volunteering at a local school or making a donation to your favorite charity, each one of us has the opportunity to give back and shape our beautiful communities.
When you file for your PFD’s please keep in mind the many nonprofits across the state that can benefit from your kindness. These nonprofits shape our communities by feeding our hungry, educating our youth, bringing arts into our lives, and so much more. You can choose which causes are closest to your heart and make meaningful change by donating through Pick.Click.Give.
Since its inception in 2009, Pick.Click.Give. has dispersed nearly $17 million to worthy causes around the state. You can add to that impact as even the smallest donation can make a big difference. At the end of your online PFD application, you can opt to give $25 or more to any of the 670 eligible organizations. Your generosity will go a long way in promoting safe, healthy communities across our state. Please join us in giving back and making Alaska the greatest place to call home. Warm your heart, share your PFD, and Pick.Click.Give. to a cause you care about.
State Board to Meet by Audio Conference January 27
The State Board of Education and Early Development will meet by audio conference at noon on January 27. The meeting will originate from the first-floor state board room at 801 West 10th Street in Juneau. The public is invited to attend in Juneau or by telephone from anywhere in Alaska, including Juneau.
Topics at the work session include the department’s operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2018, a report on the upcoming legislative session, a proposed change to the date of the board’s March meeting, and documents to define the board’s strategic goals. Topics at the business meeting include setting dates for future meetings and approving the department’s budget, the annual report to the legislature, and minutes of the December 8, 2016, meeting.
Public comment is open on agenda and non-agenda items. Comment at this oral hearing is limited to three minutes per person and five minutes per group. The public comment period is an opportunity for the board to hear the public’s concerns. The board will not engage in discussions with members of the public during the comment period.
Public comment can be made for this meeting, during this time only, by calling 1-844-586-9085 if you are outside of Juneau. For participation from Juneau, call 586-9085. This meeting will be streamed through the Legislative Information Office over www.alaskalegislature.tv beginning at noon on January 25 (audio only). Click on the meeting name to listen to the proceedings. When public comment is over, the meeting will continue to be broadcast at the above web site
Nominations Sought for Secondary School Principal, Assistant Principal Awards
The Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) invites you to nominate a secondary school Principal and an Assistant Principal for the 2018 Regional Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year Awards (RPOY & RAPOY). The nomination process can be completed by anyone in contact with the principal and assistant principal including students, staff, parents, district office staff, or principal peers. Complete the nomination form to nominate a secondary school principal or assistant principal. Nominations are due by February 12.
Inclusive Practice Award 2017
The Governor’s Council on Disabilities & Special Education has established an annual award to be given at the Annual Statewide Special Education Conference each February. The award recognizes outstanding educators who work to ensure students with disabilities have the opportunity for an inclusive education with their peers as part of the general education curriculum. Parents, students, and educators are encouraged to nominate an outstanding educator by completing the nomination form and returning it to the council by 5:00 p.m. January 20.
Court System and Bar Offer Art Contest for Grades K-8
The 2017 “Justice for All” Art Contest, sponsored by the Alaska Court System and the Alaska Bar Association, is open to students in K-8; the entry deadline in March 15. Students should address the contest theme of fairness, diversity and equality. For entry form, guidelines, and information on cash prizes, see courts.alaska.gov/outreach/#art.
Innovation Teacher Awards 2017
The Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards are looking for teachers who demonstrate an original and creative approach to teaching, exhibit resourcefulness, engage students, and are making a positive impact on not only their classroom but their community, colleagues, administrators, school, and district. Nominations are due by February 28.
Free Summer Science and Wilderness Expeditions Accepts Girls Ages 16 to 17
Inspiring Girls Expeditions is accepting applications through January 31 for free summer science and wilderness expeditions in Alaska and Washington for girls ages 16 to 17. Three teams of up to nine teenage girls and three instructors will spend 12 days exploring and learning about mountain glaciers or fjords with tidewater glaciers. They’ll conduct scientific field studies with professional glaciologists, oceanographers, artists, and mountaineers. For more information, and to learn about the application process, go to Inspiring Girls Expeditions website.
###