- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 45 No. 3
Inside This Edition:
- Special Education Conferences Set for February 4-10
- 2017 Alaska PLAAY SUMMIT Set for February 24-25
- Request for Proposals to Operate a Gift and Book Store at APK Building in Juneau
- Online Museum Exhibit: Alaska & Kiksa in World War II
- American Bar Association Holds Art Contest for High Schoolers
- Nonprofit Presents Overseas Travel Program for Educators
- Opportunity for Title IIA Subgrant to Eligible Partnerships Grants
- Marine Science Symposium Includes Opportunities for Teachers
- UAF Hosts Science Night in Nome
- UAF Presents Summer Research Academy for Middle and High School Students
- UAF Offers HS and College Students a Look at Science and Math Careers
- Libraries and Local Government Can Be Partners
- Time is Running Out to Submit Creative Writing to UAA/Alaska Dispatch Contest
- Calista Offers Marine Apprenticeships
- State Board to Meet by Audio Conference January 27
- Nominations Sought for Secondary School Principal, Assistant Principal Awards
- Alaska 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
Special Education Conference Set for February 4-10
The 2017 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference will be held February 6-8 at the Hilton Anchorage Hotel. The pre-conference will be February 4-5. And the post-conference is February 9-10. For more information on the conference, go to ASSEC website.
2017 Alaska PLAAY SUMMIT Set for February 24-25
The 2017 Alaska PLAAY Summit will be held at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 4000 Ambassador Drive, in Anchorage. See http://plaay.org/plaay-summit/.
The summit features a slate of field experts from around the state, providing teachers, parents, nurses, coaches, administrators, and other leaders of youth with a conference to address the multi-factorial areas of adolescent health. PLAAY will emphasize the importance of physical activity as a means to improving teenage health. The conference focuses on psychological and social-emotional development, and the creation of opportunities for education and training of adult leaders who work with children.
It is limited to 100 attendees. Video conferencing is available; register soon because it is limited to 10 remote sites. Email Wallace Wilson at wally@alaskasportshall.org to discuss establishing a link.
Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) certificates will be presented at the conclusion of the summit. PACE CEU’s are available for Anchorage School District employees at https://uaonline.alaska.edu/.
Pricing Information: General Public - $150. School District Employees- $100 if seeking Professional Development Credits. PDCs are available through PACE for an additional $99. Register at https://uaonline.alaska.edu/. University of Alaska Anchorage students - $50. Must show credentials at check-in.
Request for Proposals to Operate a Gift and Book Store at APK Building in Juneau
The Division of Administrative Services of the Department of Education and Early Development -- on behalf of the Alaska State Libraries, Archives & Museums -- is seeking the best vendor to operate the gift and book store at the Fr. Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building (APK), located at 395 Whittier Street in Juneau. APK is the site of the Alaska State Museum galleries, the Alaska State Library reading room, and the research center for access to the Alaska State Library historical collections and the Alaska State Archives. The building also features a 24-seat classroom, 120-seat lecture hall, café, and grand atrium. There are approximately 30 visitor parking places under the facility and spaces for up to three full-sized motor coaches (holding up to 40 passengers each) in front of the building.
For more information see http://notice.alaska.gov/184332.
Online Museum Exhibit: Alaska & Kiksa in World War II
The Alaska State Museum recently digitized a 2012 exhibit about World War II that teachers and students may appreciate: When "Over There" Was Here: World War II in Alaska & Kiska: A WWII Battlefield Landscape: http://museums.alaska.gov/online_exhibits/kiska.html. Some of the material featured in this exhibit is on permanent display in the new museum’s World War II section in Juneau.
American Bar Association Holds Art Contest for High Schoolers
Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to submit art work to the American Bar Association’s 2017 Law Day Art Contest. The contest is open to students, student groups, and classes attending a public or private high school, or being home schooled, within the United States and in grades 9-12 or the equivalent. The deadline to enter is March 31. Students may submit an art piece that can be represented in two-dimensions, in any medium including but not limited to drawings, paintings, films, photographs, graphic novels, and comics. The theme is the 14th amendment to the Constitution. Visit the American Bar Association website for more information on the Law Day Art Contest.
Nonprofit Presents Overseas Travel Program for Educators
Founded in 2007, Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a non-profit organization that has sent over 1,600 teachers abroad on travel programs. Educators can earn professional development credits and optional graduate credit. GEEO's trips are 7 to 21 days long; they are designed to be interesting and affordable for teachers.
GEEO provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators, administrators, retired educators, as well as educators’ guests. The registration deadline is June 1, but space is limited and many programs will be full well before the deadline. Detailed information about each trip is at www.geeo.org. GEEO can be reached 7 days a week, toll-free at 1-877-600-0105 between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Alaska time.
Opportunity for Title IIA Subgrant to Eligible Partnerships Grants
The Department of Education & Early Development announces a federal partnership grant for teacher/administrator professional development. Grants will focus on short, intensive instructor/administrator academies in multiple content areas. These areas will be high-needs priorities as determined by individual districts. Such academies will provide teachers the opportunity to develop skills and curricula appropriate to their classrooms and communities while incorporating aspects of ongoing DEED initiatives.
Notice of intent to apply is due January 27 and proposals are due February 17. You may download a copy of the RFA (word). Please direct all questions to Bjørn Wolter at bjorn.wolter@alaska.gov.
Marine Science Symposium Includes Opportunities for Teachers
The 2017 Alaska Marine Science Symposium will be held in Anchorage on January 23-27 at the Hotel Captain Cook. More than 800 scientists, educators, and others are expected to attend the event, which will include professional development opportunities for teachers; the $100 conference registration fee is waived for participating K-12 teachers.
Attendees who teach grades 6-12 can enroll in a one-credit professional development course, STEM: Marine Research Connections in the K-12 Classroom. The course will deepen participants’ knowledge of oceanography and marine science, and allow them to develop lesson plans for their classrooms. A special Ocean Science Educator’s Night event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on January 24. The Anchorage School District will celebrate Ocean Week with visits by marine scientists to classrooms during the week of the symposium.
See www.alaskaseagrant.org, amss.nprb.org. Teachers interested in enrolling in the one-credit course can contact Alaska Sea Grant marine education specialist Marilyn Sigman at msigman@alaska.edu or 907-274-9612.
UAF Hosts Science Night in Nome
The University of Alaska Fairbanks will host a free science night in Nome to help the community celebrate its curiosity through hands-on activities. UAF's Alaska Summer Research Academy (ASRA) will host the community science night, which is open to people of all ages, at the Nome Elementary School gym from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on January 25.
Hands-on activities will include: making ice-cream; extracting DNA from strawberries; meeting live sled dogs who are models for human health; playing a game to learn about camouflage; and using test kits to take a closer look at what's in water.
ASRA organizes two community science nights per year. They're held in the rural communities where UAF has campuses — Nome, Dillingham, Bethel and Kotzebue. ASRA's 2015 Community Science Night in Nome attracted more than 200 people. ASRA is part of the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics.
UAF Presents Summer Research Academy for Middle and High School Students
The Alaska Summer Research Academy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will accept applications from February 1 to April 15 for its middle and high school programs. The academy will be held each day on July 10-21. Students accepted into the summer program will spend two weeks with a small group and two instructors exploring a topic in science, engineering, math, or technology. The program is offered through the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics.
The middle school program is for students who will be in grades six to eight in the fall 2017. The high school program is for students who will be in grades nine to 12 in fall 2017. Financial aid may be available for qualified students.
There are five middle school modules: Getting to Know Your Birds at the Sky Islands of Interior Alaska; Investigating Patterns of Life; Mapping Permafrost Adventures; Meet the Mammals; and The Air Up There — Investigating Air Pollution and Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere.
There are eight high school modules: Biomedicine; Disease Detectives; DIY Data Devices: Sensor Building for Environmental Science; Environmental Chemistry of the Arctic; Reconstructing Evolution: The Mathematics of DNA; Time Sleuths — Archaeology in Interior Alaska; Veterinary Medicine; and Web Development. The Time Sleuths module includes a six-day expedition.
See www.uaf.edu/asra.
UAF Offers HS and College Students a Look at Science and Math Careers
High school and college students interested in exploring science- and math-related careers can attend the first Careers of Science and Math Opportunity Summit at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on February 4. The UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics will host COSMOS from 8 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Murie Building, 982 N. Koyukuk Drive, on the Fairbanks campus. The summit is free but preregistration is required.
Students will participate in small group discussions, panels and hands-on activities. Professionals and faculty members from different businesses, government agencies, and UAF colleges and schools will lead the events. They represent fields such as space physics, biomedical research, chemistry, geosciences, wildlife biology, science education, natural resources management, and fisheries and ocean sciences.
Organizer Carolyn Chapin said Fairbanks school counselors expressed an interest in the summit as a way to educate students about the real-world opportunities in science and math fields. To register online, visit sites.google.com/alaska.edu/cosmos.
Libraries and Local Government Can Be Partners
A recent survey by the International City/County Management Association identified three areas of opportunity for libraries and their local government leaders to work together more closely:
- collaborating on community priorities;
- engaging in active information sharing and communication about community issues;
- and seeking additional funding sources to enable libraries to expand programming and services.
The survey was completed by nearly 2,000 chief administrators and local government leaders and was conducted in partnership with the Aspen Institute and the Public Library Association. For additional information visit:
Time is Running Out to Submit Creative Writing to UAA/Alaska Dispatch Contest
February 10 is the deadline 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 and posted in the online edition of the paper and on LitSite Alaska (LitSite.org). See www.adn.com/creativewritingcontest/. Questions should be emailed to Sara Juday at creativewritingcontest@alaskadispatch.com.
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.
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. The board packet is at education.alaska.gov/State_Board/pdf/17-January-Packet.pdf.
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 spring 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. Nominate a secondary school principal or assistant principal. Nominations are due by February 12.
Alaska 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.
Award Honors Teachers Who Innovate
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 www.inspiringgirls.org.
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