The budget cuts that have been reducing funding for Alaska’s schools are unacceptable.
For students to succeed and seek a higher education so they can go on to become educated job holders, as a city we need to provide them with the strongest and most reliable school system we possibly can. As Alaskans we see how unnaturally fast our glaciers have been receding, how are ecosystems are being altered, and with our new President Trump, science funding is being cut dramatically. Combining the effects that these cuts will have, we, as Alaskans, and as a community, need to act with the urgency of first hand responders to the scene of destruction that climate change is causing, and acknowledge the extreme importance that education has to our society.
To do this, we need to educate our youth while we can on what they can do to make a difference. I have lived in Juneau for my entire life, and was fortunate enough to attend the Juneau Community Charter School (JCCS) for seven years. As a student at JCCS I received one-on-one time with my teacher working on ample science projects that encouraged us to think critically outside the box and about our environment. I have now gone on to be a STEM major at a liberal arts university that has provided me with plentiful opportunities to continue working toward fighting to help our earth recover, while continuing to inspire me to work harder everyday to make a change, no matter how big or small. To start educating our youth so they can reach their highest potential, we can require more family/guardian involvement in the schools, a larger access to free clubs that get students outside and involved in the community through volunteer work, and to never stop educating youth on the importance of their impact in our wonderful state and world.
We need to find the money.
We need to find the time.
We need to make the change.
Sincerely,
Rosie Rivet
Juneau