In Today's Newsletter
1. Alaska Digital Citizenship Week
2. Career and Technical Education Program Awards
3. State-Tribal Education Compact Schools AKLeg Hearing
4. APPLY NOW: Farm to School Grants
5. First Alaska FAFSA Summit!
6. DEADLINE EXTENDED: NAEP Film Project
7. Career Opportunity at DEED
8. Keep the Lights On Afterschool
9. Preparing Children and Youth with Disabilities for the Workforce
10. 2024 iDidaContest
Happy Alaska Day!
The Department of Education and Early Development will not be open tomorrow, October 18th, because Alaska Day is a State Holiday.
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This week is Alaska Digital Citizenship Week! Follow DEED on social media to learn tips and tricks for digital literacy all week!
DEED on Facebook
DEED on Twitter
In partnership with Common Sense Education, BrainPOP, GoogleEdu, and ISTE, DEED has dedicated an entire week to teach students how to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world.
DEED has compiled resources to empower students, parents, and educators to be informed and responsible online, and reflect on how our digital lives impact our social and emotional well-being. Some of the resource toolkits include:
- Alaska Digital Citizenship Week Classroom Plans for all grades, K-12
- Multiple curricula options
- Family Engagement Plans
Check it out here: Alaska Digital Citizenship Week - Education and Early Development
Earlier this month, the Alaska State Board of Education recognized five Career and Technical Education programs in the categories of successful student engagement and work-based learning. The following awardees were identified at the June 2023 board meeting and awards were presented at the recent CTE Professional Development Conference in Anchorage. The awardees are:
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Minto School & Educator Scott Brucker - Hydroponics Growing Project
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Delta/Greely School District - Boat Building Project
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Alaska Resource Education (ARE) - Powerful Opportunities for Women in Resources (POWR) Camp
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Annette Island School District - Scuba Program
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Bristol Bay Regional Career and Technical Education (BBRCTE) - Fisheries Program
Congratulations to these programs that are delivering meaningful CTE for our students.
The Alaska House of Representatives will host a Tribal Affairs Committee meeting to discuss Tribal Compacting. DEED Director of Tribal Affairs, Joel Isaak, will be presenting about the background of tribal compacting efforts through the historical context of education in Alaska and the lens of Alaska's Education Challenge. He will also provide an update to the Tribal Compacting negotiations for the report required by Senate Bill 34.
Date: November 6, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Anchorage LIO, Denali Room
You can watch the hearing online at Alaska State Legislature (akleg.gov)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will award up to $12 million in competitive grants to eligible entities this fiscal year. Each grant will help implement farm to school programming that increases access to local food in eligible schools, connects children with agriculture for better health, and inspires youth to consider careers in agriculture.
There are multiple grant tracks, and eligibility varies by track.
- The track for implementation grant awards range from $50,000 - $500,000 and is a great option for eligible entities with prior farm to school experience that want to further develop their existing farm to school programming. Some examples could include training and technical assistance, creating promotional materials or campaigns, and forming networks or coalitions.
- Turnkey grants offer the choice between three tracks: 1) action plan development for entities that have never received a farm to school grant before; 2) agricultural education curriculum development and delivery; and 3) edible gardening. These tracks can be awarded up to $50,000.
The Grant RFA can be found online here, and applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by January 12, 2024.
With support from the University of Alaska, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is thrilled to announce its first-ever Alaska FAFSA Summit.
With historically low rates of FAFSA completion, Alaska’s students lose access to critical funding sources to support postsecondary education and workforce needs. The impact of not completing the FAFSA is broad. Not only does it reduce access to education funding sources, but also reduces the number of Alaskans with postsecondary credentials prepared to support Alaska’s workforce needs.
Currently over 100 Alaskans are registered to attend the first Alaska FAFSA Summit, representing secondary education administrators, teachers, and counselors; postsecondary administrators (admissions, financial aid, etc.), Alaska Native Education Foundations, Alaska Native Corporations, and State of Alaska employees who work for specific state agencies connected to FAFSA/postsecondary education.
The FAFSA Summit will host highly regarded speakers and panelists from Alaska and the Lower 48, representing organizations including: State of Alaska Legislature, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the National College Attainment Network, and the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Aid.
The Alaska FAFSA Summit will be located at the Anchorage Downtown Marriott, October 26-27, 2023.
For more information about FAFSA Completion initiatives in Alaska, click here.
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Are you interested in filming? How about acting? Are you interested in sharing the unique aspects of your school and community?
DEED is looking for students, teachers, and parents to get involved in the 2024 NAEP Video Project. The video will be an informational piece about the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It will highlight Alaskan perspectives by involving Alaskan students and filming in one-of-a-kind Alaskan locations.
The video will help students, teachers, and parents understand the importance of NAEP as it pertains to student selection, effort, and how results are used to benefit our students.
Check out the directions in the flyer above, or email Raina.Moulian@Alaska.Gov for more information. New submission deadline is October 27th. Important links can be found below:
Appearance Release Form (child)
Appearance Release Form (adult)
Example Video from Alabama
The Script
Mobile Device Filming Guidelines
Submit to Dropbox
(password: naep2024)
And don't forget to submit your Appearance Release Forms, too!
The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is seeking an Executive Secretary 3 in the Anchorage Commissioner’s Office. This position provides essential administrative and clerical support to the Commissioner and the State Board of Education in the areas of travel coordination, meeting logistics coordination, and creation and tracking of correspondence on a daily basis. The incumbent will post proposed changes to regulations for public comment, collect all public comment, and organize comments for State Board of Education review. Additionally, the selected candidate will be responsible for preparation of meeting packets for State Board of Education meetings and for taking and transcribing minutes from said meetings, either personally or through the Administrative Assistant under their supervision.
The application deadline is October 27th.
Read more and apply here.05-1002 Call for Applications October 2023.pdf
The nation’s celebration of afterschool is coming! The 24th annual Lights On Afterschool will take place October 26, 2023, shining a light on the afterschool programs that are supporting young people’s well-being and academic growth with fun, engaging learning opportunities. Thousands of afterschool programs will open their doors to the community to showcase. Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, the event brings attention to the benefits of afterschool and the great unmet demand for more. For every child in a program, four are waiting to get in.
Take part by hosting an event or attending an event in your community. Holding a Lights On Afterschool event can help programs gain recognition, attract more support, and strengthen partnerships and relationships. Access your planning kit and learn more at www.afterschoolalliance.org/loa.cfm.
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In collaboration with key agents of change, DEED received a $10 million five-year grant to implement an innovative model demonstration project to mitigate challenges faced by children and youth with disabilities in preparing for the workforce.
The systemic approach to successful transitions is dedicated to promoting inclusivity, equity, empowerment, and sustainable employment for these populations. The overarching project goal is: Increase the number of Alaska youth and other individuals with disabilities who are competitively employed through innovative and collaborative programs involving key agencies and organizations.
The key activities to be performed during this project involve leadership training, peer support, mentorship, apprenticeship opportunities, financial literacy classes, and a centralized website tying all the services and opportunities together.
Partners in this project include the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education (GCDSE), Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL), and UAA Center for Human Development (UAA CHD), and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD)- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
Announcing the 2024 iDidaContest: Alaska's Premier Student and Teacher Media Showcase
Each year, the Alaska Society for Technology Education (ASTE) celebrates excellence in digital media by showcasing the most outstanding photos, movies, documentaries, podcasts, music, books, and more. Our ongoing partnership with the Alaska Council for Social Studies adds an exciting dimension with several Social Studies-themed categories.
We're introducing new categories dedicated to Digital Art this year. Additionally, in a pioneering move, we've launched a category specifically for projects that incorporate the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Teachers and students are encouraged to participate either individually or as part of a classroom project.
Submissions are now open, and you can submit your entries today. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2024.
Winners will be announced at the iDidaNight showcase on February 18, 2024. We're excited to inform you that the iDidaNight showcase will once again be broadcast live. Links for the stream will be provided in upcoming communications.
For more details and to participate, please visit the ASTE iDidaContest website.
Join us in celebrating Alaskan innovation and creativity at its peak!
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