Thirty-nine educators from across Alaska came together in June to launch their summer learning at the 2026 Kodiak Place-Based Learning & the Arts Institute. Administrators, classroom teachers, specialists, and a University of Alaska Fairbanks participant represented twelve school districts, including Kodiak Island Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Valdez City, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Kashunamiut, Lower Kuskokwim, Juneau, Bering Strait, Nome, Sitka, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and Lower Yukon School Districts.
Teaching artists Lisa Leeper, Jared Griffin, Sperry Ash, and JoAnne Knight, supported by the Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) Board and staff, immersed participants in a week of visual arts, theater arts, cultural arts, and place-based learning. Throughout the institute, educators explored how the arts can deepen student engagement, strengthen relationships, and connect learning to the history, culture, and environment of their communities.
Highlights of the week included theater arts workshops that encouraged participants to step outside their comfort zones through games and collaborative activities that can be easily adapted for classrooms. One participant reflected, “Theatre Arts with Jared was another highlight for me. Throughout the week, he had a unique ability to help people step outside of their comfort zones, laugh at themselves, and embrace their vulnerability. He also shared some really creative and engaging ways to build relationships with students and create a positive classroom environment.”
Participants also experienced the rich cultural traditions of the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq people through basket weaving, songs and dances led by Sperry Ash. As one educator shared, “I thoroughly enjoyed learning from Sperry. You can tell he has a tremendous amount of passion for his culture and a genuine desire to see it preserved and passed on throughout the community. His songs and dances in the morning were probably my favorite part of the entire week. It was inspiring to see how music and movement can be used to teach history, values, and culture.”
The collaborative nature of the institute allowed participants to shape their learning throughout the week, creating an experience that was responsive, hands-on, and immediately applicable to their classrooms. “The Kodiak Institute has been one of the most meaningful and hands-on professional development experiences I have participated in throughout my teaching career. Unlike traditional trainings that mainly focus on lectures and presentations, this institute allowed us to actively create, collaborate, and experience learning through art, culture, and place-based education.”
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium extends its sincere appreciation to the Kodiak Island Borough School District for their partnership in making this institute possible. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our funders, including the Alaska State Council on the Arts, Koniag, Incorporated, and the Bristol Bay Foundation, as well as our community partners the Alutiiq Museum, The Kodiak History Museum, Double Shovel Cider Companyand Rock Life for helping create a welcoming and memorable experience for educators from across Alaska.