SHI to offer pre-conferences on Native literature, artful teaching
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will offer two pre-conferences on Native literature and artful teaching prior to its annual culturally responsive education (CRE) conference in August.
One is “Raven Writes: Native Literature,” offered in partnership with NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN) for K-6 educators. The two-day session, scheduled for Aug. 5–6, will focus on developing high quality reading lessons for Native literature. The pre-conference will take place at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. each day.
Educators who participate in the Raven Writes pre-conference will have the opportunity to earn one credit from UAS, which can be used towards renewing their teaching license or advancing on the district pay scale. Participants will also receive a stipend upon satisfactory completion of the session, and those coming from outside of Juneau can apply for a travel stipend to stay through the CRE conference, which runs from Aug. 7–9.
During the pre-conference, teachers will learn about Indigenous Genius by Design, explore how to select quality mentor texts and develop a reading lesson plan based on state standards and the science of reading.
Raven Writes is a Sealaska Heritage education program that provides culturally relevant writing curricula, family engagement activities and professional development for elementary students, teachers and families. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
The other pre-conference is “Voices on the Land: Artful Teaching Pre-Conference,” in partnership with the Juneau School District’s Artful Teaching program. It will take place at Thunder Mountain Middle School from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 5–6. This pre-conference is free and open to K-12 teachers.
Teachers will spend time engaging in workshops with Kennedy Center-trained art integration educators that include:
Reading art across the curriculum, creating comics, observational drawing, designing classroom spaces so arts integration can thrive, facilitating academic conversations, and using Tableau for comprehension and assessment.
Lodging and airfare will be covered for a limited number of participants. Preference will be given to K-6 Alaska Native educators who plan to stay through the CRE conference from Aug. 7–9.
Voices on the Land is a literacy based Sealaska Heritage program that integrates visual, performing and digital arts with traditional knowledge. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
Registration is available at https://sealaskaheritage.org/shi-to-offer-pre-conferences-on-native-literature-artful-teaching.
Rasmuson Foundation resumes grantmaking, launches new programs
The Rasmuson Foundation is expanding grantmaking programs to increase award sizes, expedite award schedules and broaden eligibility for grant-funded projects.
Letters of inquiry for Legacy grants were accepted starting July 9, Tier 1 and Community Support grant applications open Aug. 15, and Individual Artist Awards application open in early 2025. Application information is available at Rasmuson.org.
The Foundation’s Tier 1 grants will increase from $25,000 to $35,000. The new Community Support grant will support requests between $35,000 and $250,000. The rebranded Legacy grants, which replace Tier 2 grants, are intended for requests that exceed $250,000. Individual Artist Awards will return in early 2025, with program details to be released later this year.
“Our mission is to empower Alaskans to help each other,” said Rasmuson Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Guess. “The program changes reflect the Foundation’s focus on making resources accessible and responsive to the needs of Alaska-based nonprofits, government entities, and Tribal organizations.”
Rasmuson Foundation has a robust history of funding a wide variety of projects and causes across Alaska, including the arts, health care, economic development, language and cultural preservation, and housing, among other community priorities. Since 1955, the Foundation has funded nearly 11,000 projects with more than $533 million.
A pause in most grantmaking activities in January 2024, concurrent with board-led strategic planning, allowed the organization to assess and improve its internal processes to ensure that the nearly 70-year-old family foundation is well-positioned to serve Alaska communities and nonprofits for decades to come.
“We have grown rapidly in recent years and decided to make a strategic pause in giving to reflect, refine, and recalibrate,” said Chris Perez, vice president of programs for the Foundation. “The changes are intended to bring greater transparency and flexibility to our core programs, so our partners are well-supported in a variety of ways as they carry out their important work serving and supporting Alaskans.”
Tier 1 grants
Tier 1 is a core program of the Foundation, known for fast funding of capital needs. In addition to a 40% increase in the maximum award size, the program now allows organizations to apply up to 15% of an award toward programmatic or administrative costs. More than 175 of these grants are awarded yearly in communities across the state. Tier 1 grants will provide up to $35,000 per project and the application period will start on Aug. 15. This is a rolling grant program, and applications are accepted throughout the year.
Community Support grants
The new Community Support grants are intended for requests between $35,000 and $250,000. Capital requests will be reviewed and approved quarterly, while non-capital requests will be reviewed twice a year. Grants of this size do not require an invitation to apply, and eligible organizations can access the application starting Aug. 15.
Legacy grants
The Legacy grant program is closely aligned to the former Tier 2 in its grant size, application process, and review schedule. Intended for requests of $250,000 and more, this funding supports the programmatic and capital needs of eligible organizations. A letter of inquiry is required and selected applicants may be invited to submit a full proposal. Organizations with an immediate need are highly encouraged to contact a program officer as soon as possible, which may be done online through a scheduling link.
Applicants at any level are encouraged to connect with Foundation program officers in advance of submitting their request. Program officers provide guidance throughout the process and can help an organization understand whether a project qualifies for funding and how to best prepare an application. Meetings with program officers can be scheduled online.
“Elmer Rasmuson often said, ‘helping others is an Alaska tradition’ and we’re proud to live up to this tradition and to support others in the community who are doing the same,” Guess said.
The new programs and schedule were approved by the Rasmuson Foundation board of directors at its June meeting in Kenai.
City Museum seeking solo artist applicants for the 2025-2026 exhibition season
The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is currently seeking applications from local solo artists or groups of artists who are interested in mounting a show during the City Museum’s 2025-2026 exhibition season. The deadline for submitting applications is Aug. 31, 2024.
Every year, the museum exhibits month-long solo and group art shows from November through February. Interested artists must submit a completed application form no later than August 31, 2024. Fillable applications may be downloaded from the City Museum’s website at https://bit.ly/3S0ikKm. Applications can be emailed by request or picked up from the City Museum. For more information, call (907) 586-3572 or email museum.info@juneau.gov.
Annual Steep Creek Trail closure begins Monday
The Steep Creek Trail at Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center closes July 15, and stays closed until Oct. 15. The U.S. Forest Service closes the non-elevated portions of the trail to minimize bear-human interactions, allow bears access to their natural environment, and enhance the viewing experience for guests.
Hikers and cyclists will encounter signs at trailheads alerting them to the closure when they enter the Dredge Lakes area. The closure boundary is clearly marked by black plastic chain and signs.
The closure, first instituted 17 years ago, is also intended to improve bear viewing opportunities. Bears tend to remain in viewing distance when visitors move slowly and quietly on the elevated platforms, allowing people to observe natural bear behavior while having a minimal impact.
Food and flavored beverages are only allowed in designated areas, and dogs and bikes are strongly discouraged on the trail. The following established protocols when on the raised Steep Creek platforms: maintain a calm demeanor and use slow movements, be courteous and respectful of other visitors, and notify staff when you see a bear.
For more information call (907) 789-0097 or email steven.behrns@usda.gov.
Juneau woman honored as TOPS weight-loss queen in Alaska for 2023
Elizabeth Dahl of Juneau was honored as the TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 2023 Alaska Queen for losing 35.4 pounds during the year. She was honored April 25-27 at the Alaska recognition event at the Land’s End Resort in Homer. Alaska has an adult obesity rate of 32.1%, and in 2023, TOPS members in Alaska lost a cumulative 1,014 pounds.
“My weight and exercise habits yo-yo,” she stated. “Thirty years ago, I lost 55 pounds after breaking the 200-pound mark. Naturally, I swore I would never go back. I didn’t know then what I do now. Statistically 80%-90% of losers will eventually gain their weight back within five years. Maintaining weight loss is very challenging.”
“When I attended my first Juneau TOPS meeting in November 2022 and met a Chapter KOPS with 18 years of maintaining goal weight, I was in awe of how powerful her feat was, given the statistics. ‘I think I am in the right place,’ I told myself. Of course, it also made a big impression on me when she openly stated, that if she didn’t come to the meetings every week to weigh in, she would have gained it back.“
“At first, my goal was a low bar. I was going to be content if I managed not to gain any more weight during the holidays and winter season. I felt safe I could accomplish that through the accountability of weigh-ins. Eventually, meetings inspired me to aim for weight loss.”
