Alaska Native Youth

What We Do

To address the low rate of college attainment for Alaska Native students, we focus on three areas of need:

1. Cultural Awareness: We help students develop a sense of belonging and resilience so they are more likely to stay enrolled after arriving at college. We do that by familiarizing high school students with Native student organizations on college campuses across the country.


2. University Prep and Selection: High poverty rates among Alaska Native communities limit access to resources that support educational success, such as tutoring, extracurricular activities, and college preparation programs. Furthermore, there are very few public colleges in Alaska, and those that exist offer degrees in a limited range of subjects. Consequently, students are often forced to look to the Lower 48 States for a university.


3. Financial Resources: Without significant financial aid, only a small fraction of the Alaska Native population would be able to attend college. That's why we focus our college placement work on universities that offer significant financial aid to Alaska Native students. Most of the best programs for our students exist in Alaska and California.