Jenna raises reindeer and brings them to educational and fundraising events. She and her reindeer have raised thousands of dollars to help homeless youth in the Kenai area from ringing the bell for Salvation Army to offering reindeer photo shoots to the public. Jenna also visits classrooms to teach students about reindeer.
Elliott volunteered with UAA’s STEM-based summer camps for middle and high school students. He assisted students with robot design, construction, programming and testing. In addition to his countless hours planning curriculum and setting up sessions he was also a mentor to the campers and inspired them to continue their interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
Brooke Estes, Jerry Swanson, Mathew Moore and Rachel Tougas helped create a 12-episode DVD series about the history of the Eastern Kenai Peninsula. They volunteered countless hours narrating and composing music for the series and made history come alive for hundreds of children who will have access to it.
Gerrit invented an ozone water treatment system for his school’s science symposium. He then developed it into a product that could provide clean, safe water in developing countries. He hopes to develop his O3 System as a humanitarian product as well as a consumer product.
Kathryn is a member of the Governor’s Statewide Suicide Prevention Council and is a leader in Anchorage for educating peers about recognizing the warning signs of suicide and how to get help. She has led talks with Anchorage School District students and helped organize a peer training at the Boys and Girls Club. She encourages others to not sit by while a peer struggles with life, but to stand up and do something about it.
The West High School IB Garden Group created an on-campus community garden where they planted, cultivated and harvested vegetables. Their entire crop was then donated to charity. Students not only gained valuable gardening skills, but they learned how locally-grown food can benefit those around them.
Schrödinger’s Hat is a team of six Fairbanks teens that builds and programs robots and does extensive outreach at the local, state, national and international levels to help promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning. The team gives presentations at schools, local libraries, university events and other community organizations. Additionally, they have given trainings both in-person and virtually for remote Alaska communities and on an international level.
Isaac created a vertical garden as part of the Fairbanks Youth For Habitat Restoration Corps. His garden was made of recycled materials such as PVC pipe, rain gutters and burlap. His ingenuity and compassion resulted in a project that provided nourishment and aesthetic for his community.
Rose organized a formal dress drive for her school’s end-of-the-year 8th grade dance. She helped collect more than 30 dresses from the community and arranged for the students to shop for the dresses discreetly. Not only did she give students the opportunity to attend a dance in style, but she also helped them with their overall confidence.
Marina is an intern at KMXT Radio in Kodiak where she has produced more than 10 radio stories. She volunteers with Kodiak’s SumArts radio storytelling camp and is a graduate of the Media Action film intensive where she produced a short film documenting the J-1 Visa controversy among Kodiak cannery workers. This year she assisted the Media Action program with their project about the 25-year anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and its effect on her community.
Alford Bankston, Kori Itta-Tomas, Kara Smith, and Esther Taalak of Barrow interned with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service exploring relationships among lemmings and endangered species. The students got an introduction to field research and were able to provide local environmental and traditional knowledge. After the season is over the interns engage in community outreach presentations about their summer experiences.
Eight middle school students from Fairbanks, Anchorage and Wasilla spent a week studying subarctic and arctic ecosystems of the Brooks Range. Students camped out and practiced non-lethal bear deterrents, installed and collected GPS data for swallow nest boxes, collected snowshoe hare pellets for a long-term population study, created research transects on the vast tundra, and observed songbird capture and identification with a researcher.
Kaila is one of three Ketchikan High School students to participate in the Vigor Shipyard training program. She had a rough start her freshman year, but after enrolling in a welding class she discovered she had a spark for hands-on work. Through hard work and dedication she has overcome challenges and achieved unexpected personal success.
Sherry enjoys working with children and participating in Alaska Native events. She has a passion for helping Alaska Natives in her community and hopes to be a nurse when she’s older. She was part of the Early Childhood Education program and King Career Center and has become a role model to young students.
Shantina is committed to helping her community. She has volunteered with Providence Medical Center, the Salvation Army Family Center and church food drives. She also participated in the Color of Justice community program, which promotes diversity in the legal profession.
Sara is an aspiring filmmaker and completed a gifted mentorship in video production at the Alaska Teen Media Institute. Her culminating project was a documentary film on girl wrestlers, which was shown at the King Career Center youth film event at the Bear Tooth Theatre. Sara is an explorer and a freshman she spent a year living in Malaysia. This taste for travel has given her the goal of reaching people around the world with her cinematography.
Miranda loves to read and write. She also enjoys volunteering and participating in Alaska Native dancing. She has overcome tremendous obstacles in life and would like to use her experiences to increase the number of shelters and programs for Anchorage families in need. She is willing to stand up for peoples’ rights and is a strong advocate for youth who are experiencing family hardships.
Marilee is active in her church. She helps out each summer at Vacation Bible School, is a youth leader during youth retreats, and volunteers throughout the year. Through her participation with her church she has learned to love all people regardless of their differences.
Karen is a listener. As one of eight siblings, she knows the value of mediation. She enjoys working out problems between her peers and would like to be a therapist or a sonographer when she is older. She has experienced bullying because of her cultural differences, but that doesn’t get in her way of personal achievement. Her struggle with learning English as a second language has only made her a stronger person who is determined to be self-reliant and successful.
Jocelyn is a teen assistant at Fairview Elementary School and is a positive role model for young children. She worked in a preschool classroom for one semester where she supervised young children in various activities and projects. She helps empower youth with her enthusiastic attitude and encourages them to do their best.
