2025 Rural Arts Initiative Update

While 2023 gave every RAI district team the opportunity to think about and discuss their needs and hopes, 2024 has been a real push forward. Thanks to more funding and a strong cohort of representatives, each district has been able to launch great partnerships within their schools and communities, and with tribal partners and culture bearers.

Each month district representatives meet one-on-one with the RAI coordinator, as well as with the whole group, to keep everyone connected, sharing, and supporting each other’s work. 

RAI Representatives from Lower Yukon School District and community, Lower Kuskokwim School District, Alaska Gateway School District, Nome Public Schools and community, RAI Coordinator and RAI Committee member.

Important RAI Events

In September 2024, we held our second face-to-face meeting in Anchorage. Some district representatives came with their cultural partner, some with their community partner. During a day and a half, they worked together on concrete plans for this year and convened as a whole group with advisors to share and learn from each other. The monetary support from our new grants gave everyone added energy to work on innovative collaborations and projects linking the arts, literature and cultural aspects (see flyer). 

When Skagway School District decided to not pursue RAI, we welcomed the Haines Borough School District to our project. They were able to jump in and catch up rapidly.

Josie Bourdon of Nome shared her ideas.

Support and Awards

With the support of RAI, Nome School District received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant to finance their part of the RAI project, help with the Anchorage convening expenses, and give some funds to each of the four other districts to bring culture bearers/artists into their schools. 

RAI also helped three districts receive a shared Youth Cultural Heritage Grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts and Rasmuson Foundation.

These awards recognize the goals of RAI to bring equitable arts access to all students in rural Alaska. Such support also leverages districts’ potential to gain funds on their own to increase the scale and reach of each project.