Alaska Airlines
pledges $1 million to support STEM education in rural Alaska
ANCHORAGE Next year, as many as 650 middle school students
from rural, native communities in Alaska will have the opportunity
to dream a little bigger, thanks to a three-year partnership between
Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Native Science & Engineering
Program (ANSEP).
A three-year, $1 million grant from Alaska Airlines will help
transport Alaska students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades to
Anchorage to attend ANSEPs award-winning Middle School Academy
education program. Held at the University of Alaska Anchorage, the
ANSEP Middle School Academy promotes science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) education and supports Alaskas historically
underserved and underrepresented students.
It is our privilege to be able to help foster STEM education
in the state of Alaska, said Marilyn Romano, Alaska Airlines
regional vice president - Alaska. Our goal is to make sure
that as many students as possible who want to attend this program
have the opportunity. We know the skills these students gain by
attending the ANSEP Middle School Academy will benefit their communities
and the state of Alaska while preparing them for future success.
The ANSEP grant is one of the largest financial donations Alaska
Airlines has made in the state in its more than 80 years of operating
in Alaska. Last year Alaska donated $2.6 million in cash and in-kind
contributions to support more than 300 different non-profit groups
and organizations throughout the state.
Alaska Airlines will transport the first class of students in
January of 2015.
ANSEP Student Scorecard at a Glance:
- More than 75 percent of Middle School Academy students complete
Algebra 1 before graduating from 8th grade, compared to 26 percent
nationally.
- 95 percent of ANSEPs High School Acceleration Academy
students advance one full level in math or science after attending
a five-week summer course.
- Since the programs inception in 1995, more than 70
percent of ANSEP students who begin a collegiate bachelors
degree in STEM go on to graduate.
During the Academy students from Kotzebue to Wrangell attend
classes that include problem solving, research and communication
skills incorporated with biology, chemistry, physics, environmental
sciences, earth sciences, engineering and design concepts, and field
excursions. STEM professionals and university faculty teach the
classes, giving students a university experience within a small
structure. Learn about one ANSEP graduates recent journey
from St. Paul Island at blog.alaskaair.com.
This donation leverages funds provided in the Governors
education bill and will help us to bring the ANSEP Middle School
Academy to hundreds of new students annually. We are planning to
have 4,000 students in the ANSEP pipeline by 2020, said ANSEP
Founder Dr. Herb Ilisaurri Schroeder. Alaska Airlines
contribution is helping us to effect a profound and positive impact
for our students, their families, their communities, our state and
within our partner organizations that will endure for generations.
About ANSEP
In the last 20 years, ANSEP has evolved into a longitudinal education
model that provides a continuous string of components beginning
with students in sixth grade and on through high school, into science
and engineering undergraduate degree programs and through graduate
school to the PhD level. By successfully completing the ANSEP components,
every student in Alaska can earn the Alaska Performance Scholarship
regardless of where they live. ANSEP provides inspiration, guidance
and opportunity for students from 95 communities. ANSEP arrived
at this model after 20 years of effort and with the awareness that
a fragmented approach that focuses on one academic level is not
adequate to deal with the scope of the problem and ultimately falls
short. ANSEP is based on the fundamental Native principle of working
together in a community.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together
with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities
through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada
and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction
Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates
for seven consecutive years from 2008 to 2014. Alaska Airlines'
Mileage Plan also ranked highest in the 2014 Airline Loyalty/Rewards
Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com.
For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom
at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
The Alaska
Native Science & Engineering Program
ANSEP has evolved into a longitudinal education model that
provides a continuous string of components beginning with students
in sixth grade and on through high school, into science and engineering
undergraduate degree programs and through graduate school to the
PhD.
http://www.ansep.net
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