Arctic Regional Student Gathering Recap
By Jake Stoops for the Arctic Sounder
The Future Educators of Alaska held their Arctic Regional Gathering November 5-6 in Kotzebue for 70 middle school students from Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk and Shungnak and the Bering Straits School District (Unalakeet, Stebbins, Savoonga, Saint Michael, Koyuk, and Golovin). The conference, run in partnership with the NWABSD's Youth Leaders Program, focused both on promoting the teaching profession and building leadership skills such as public speaking and team-building. Previously, the FEA held the Western Regional Gathering in Bethel, October 21-22.
In her opening remarks to the students on Friday evening, Melissa Hill, the FEA's Principal Investigator, noted that more than 900 teachers from out of state are hired in Alaska every year. The problem is magnified in rural districts where retention can be a real challenge.
