Rural Arts Initiative Project

2025 Rural Arts Initiative Update

Feb 8, 2025

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 participants gather in Anchorage for a group shot

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, Nome

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.  

AAEC’s new Rural Arts Initiative (RAI) Project

AAEC’s new Rural Arts Initiative (RAI) Project

Nov 17, 2023

What is the Rural Arts Initative (RAI)

Rural Arts Initiative was a new endeavor of AAEC, with a plan to recruit 5 rural Alaskan districts to join us and work together to expand arts and cultural arts in their schools and communities.  We spread the word to smaller rural districts and eventually selected the five districts listed below:

Alaska Gateway
Lower Kuskokwim
Lower Yukon
Nome
Skagway

The next step was to hire an RAI Coordinator and we were very lucky to find Maite Agopian who was well-qualified and looking for a little more work!

The overarching goal of the Rural Arts Initiative (RAI) is to expand arts access, equity and quality for Alaskan rural students by increasing the competence and confidence of educators to more fully integrate the arts.

Goals for the Rural Arts Initiative in Alaska
•Build and support district educators and community partners to be leaders and advocates for increased arts
learning for all students in each district
•Develop a multi-year, multi-dimensional Arts Action Plan with each district
•Co-Sponsor place-based and culture-based professional development in the arts suited to the needs and
interests of each district
•Nurture other local/regional partners to be active supporters and resources in project activities

Important Events

In January 2023, we convened the first meeting of the entire cohort. We met in the conference room of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, which was wonderful.  At this time representatives worked through the AAEC ‘continuum’ that helped them identify district strengths and weaknesses.  Each district planned to hold an event during the spring and plan for one at the beginning of the school year.

At this point in time, AAEC was working off of a small grant from the Alaska State Council for the Arts.  Since then our Sustainability committee has bee actively applying for grants to support these districts, and many are excelling on their own account.

Support and Awards

•  Alaska State Council on the Arts, Adaptation and Innovation Grant, 2022.  Funds used to support convening.

•. Block Foundation, April 2024.  Funds will be used to support Arts and Cultural Arts events in one or more rural districts.

Below is a recent article from Nome: Nome RAI Arts article

Also below is a recent article from Skagway:Skagway art article