Recent SMEA graduates, Amelia Wells and Kellie Cutsinger (’23), completed their capstone “Community-Based Mitigation and Adaptive Strategies for River Flooding and Erosion in Alaska Native Communities”  with advisor Dr. Cleo Woelfle-Hazard and in collaboration with Iowa State University. As part of their work, a video was created highlighting the communities they collaborated alongside. A message from their Capstone community partner is shared below as well as a link to the completed video project.

As part of the Yupiit School District’s commitment to providing opportunities for our students to learn and experience culturally relevant education, many of our students attended Fish Camp on the edges of the Kuskokwim River outside of Akiak and Akiachak during summer school in August 2022. This video is a combination of two videos. The first half of the video was produced by the University of Washington, School of Marine & Environmental Affairs. The second video was created by Eranne Calda, a teacher in Akiachak.

The video highlights the importance of the activities that students participated in while at fish camp through the lens of students having fun and narration by YSD’s Regional School Board and local community members. The video exemplifies the important connection of how students are engaged and learn from Elders and community members. Using thematic-based instructional strategies that are part of YSD’s curriculum, teachers created standards-based lessons for students returning to their classrooms in Akiachak, Akiak, and Tuluksak Schools. The video also shows how students demonstrated academic performance through teacher-created lessons in English and Yugtun literacy, math, science, and other academic areas.

Most importantly, the video demonstrates how YSD is working towards honoring opportunities for students to learn about and practice Yuyuraq, the way of living. We are honored to share this video.