Ollie is a highly motivated student in a rigorous dual-enrollment program who balances college-level coursework with a strong commitment to community service. She serves as Alaska’s youth ambassador for STEM Next’s Youth Voices in STEM Flight Crew, tutors math at a community center to address inequities in STEM education, and participates in the Anchorage Museum’s […]
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Olivia Okeahialam has demonstrated strong leadership and community engagement through a wide range of youth-led initiatives focused on education, preparedness, and wellbeing. Through the Youth Preparedness Council, she designed and led an interactive earthquake and volcano safety game, created classroom kits for continued instruction, and facilitated STEM workshops in local schools. Olivia also served as […]
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Yedidia is a highly driven, thoughtful, and kind youth leader who combines entrepreneurship, innovation, and service to create meaningful community impact. At just 11 years old, she founded YY Sweets, independently managing all aspects of the business while donating 10% of her profits to causes such as St. Jude’s, Sandy Hook Promise, and Women LISTEN, […]
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The Lynx Initiative (TLI) is a youth-run robotics program created by Anchorage teens who saw that too many students, especially in Title I schools, had no access to STEM opportunities. In just two years, TLI built Anchorage’s first K–12 robotics pathway, growing from 2 teams to 13 and serving students from 23 schools, including Alaska’s […]
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The Teaching Through Technology Alaska program (T3 Alliance) is a collaborative effort among students, educators, and community partners devoted to creating opportunities for students to become innovative leaders in their communities. Across Alaska, T3 students gain access to training workshops, career and internship opportunities, peer and professional networks, and STEAM technology. In Wrangell, the T3 […]
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The T3 Alaska student group in Wrangell demonstrated remarkable innovation and leadership through their work on the Capitol Christmas Tree project. Collaborating with inventor Brian Ashton, the students designed a life support system using salmon incubation technology to keep the 80-foot Sitka spruce alive during its 4,000-mile journey to Washington, D.C. Their system ensured the […]
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Ander is a talented and dedicated youth leader actively involved in his school and community. He served as King in the 2023 4th of July royalty competition and starred as the Prince in a local production of Cinderella. As a member of the T3 tech club, Ander helped design and install the remote camera system […]
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The Hutchison Stream Team, a student-led club at Hutchison High School, produces professional-quality live events, including sports, concerts, and graduations, for audiences worldwide. Using advanced production equipment like multi-camera switchboards, instant replay, and live announcers, they have streamed over 500 events since 2009, becoming Alaska’s first high school to live-stream events. Their work has supported […]
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Hunter, president of Dimond Robotics, has expanded STEM access for Anchorage youth. He has volunteered over 120 hours this year, mentoring multiple FIRST LEGO League teams. Hunter co-founded The Lynx Initiative (TLI) to create robotics programs for underserved students. As the youngest board member of the Alaska Museum of Science & Nature, he champions youth-led […]
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Dimond Robotics, a student-led team from Dimond High School, is transforming STEM access in Anchorage through The Lynx Initiative (TLI). Recognizing disparities in STEM opportunities, they developed TLI to make hands-on learning and robotics teams accessible to underserved youth. Hunter and Kanna, the driving force behind TLI, spent months researching STEM access gaps and started […]
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Sahara joined the Trapper Creek Community Council in 2022-2023 to represent the youth of the community and participate in local governmental activities. Sahara developed summer Saturday sports that hosted both youth and adults to engage in physical activities such as softball, frisbee, and volleyball. In addition, Sahara and family baked or purchased items to sell […]
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Evelyn is an avid chess player in Fairbanks, AK. Her passion for chess drove her to approach her teacher and ask if she would be the sponsor to start a club at her school. The chess club is now incredibly active, hosting tournaments for the school and the community at large. Most recently, Evelyn worked […]
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Through a partnership with the Huffman Elementary PTO, three students, Mo Narus, Skylar Berg, and Grainne Rogacki, students at South High School, started a Science Club for students at their former elementary school. They wanted to inspire young students to love science as much as they do, and provided all of the planning and supplies for […]
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Teagan is a 6th grade student at Kodiak Middle School with a job at a local doctor’s office – a bit unusual. In the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) program, Teagan is involved in a project to create a working rocket, hypothesizing and experimenting to hopefully lead to success. Teagan’s nominator says, […]
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“Making the impossible, possible” is Hannah’s personal motto, and everything she does comes from this tremendous work ethic. Hannah participates in Lego Challenge events, developing robotic figures that challenge students’ abilities in technology and science. She has assisted younger students with the skills of coding and problem-solving, helping them to develop into worthy members of […]
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Elizabeth is a motivated innovator who loves learning. Her project titled, “Development of Seaweed Bioplastics to Alleviate Environmental Plastic Pollution,” involved testing protypes of a biodegradable bioplastic cup, with the goal of engineering a cup that could be used in place of traditional plastics. With plastic pollution affecting the oceans, this is an Alaskan and […]
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Emil Lopez believes that all young people deserve to be heard, and he’s working to bring awareness and solutions to amplify the youth voice in Alaska. A keynote speaker for a recent youth summit, Emil brings to the table an awareness of and solutions for the role of young citizens. A student at Bettye Davie East […]
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Damon ran an after school game club at Howard Valentine School in Coffman Cove. He organized the games and taught children how to play them. He also helps provide fresh vegetables to his community through his work with the gardens, greenhouses and livestock at his school. The school is then able to offer these healthy, […]
Read MoreDarby runs the group Youth for a Sustainable Future. They are currently looking at removing plastic silverware from the school. This has been an ongoing issue that Darby has been deeply passionate about. Darby has given school-wide speeches to educate and create awareness around the issues of climate change.
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Suella is a facilitator and communicator of powerful and important social issues. Most recently, she has been focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MAMIP) epidemic, bringing outreach to her community through her projects, participation in community events, and social networking. Suella is an ambassador of Alaska Native issues. She testifies at committees on […]
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