New Pathways

Ongoing career and education development

America’s education is in decline. In a recent study of 131 countries by the Alliance for Education Excellence, the United States ranked 34th in primary education overall and 45th in secondary science education. Every other major progress report tells the same story: K-12 education shows a need for renewed inspiration.

The Chugach Children's Forest is uniquely positioned to address this critical issue--and help provide students with new opportunities for careers in science and technology.

Diverse School Districts
The Anchorage School District is one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the country (50,000 students speaking more than 90 different languages). The Chugach School District is one of the smallest and most remote (500 students split between coastal towns and Native villages, with a majority of Alaska Native students). Through their involvement in the Children’s Forest, these two very different school districts are becoming leaders in innovative science and technology, new media, and cross-cultural exchange.

New Possibilities
As part of its efforts to engage Alaska's youth from all backgrounds, the Chugach Children's Forest is actively reaching out to diverse populations from all socio-economic backgrounds, with a particular focus on groups not traditionally involved in outdoor professions. By connecting these students with forest professionals, scientists, and other outdoors-oriented staff, the Chugach Children's Forest helps open their eyes to new realms of career and education possibilities. Shirley Mae Springer, director of Anchorage's Home-Based After-School Program, speaks eloquently on the topic in this YouTube video.

New Jobs
The Chugach Children's Forest is creating new employment opportunities for young Alaskans, including media internships, the Chugach Conservation Corps, and opportunities with Youth Employment in Parks. These jobs provide exposure to a wide range of media, technology, and outdoor opportunites, and provide students with experiences relevant to future careers in these fields. New partnerships are actively being explored to expand the range of youth employment opportunities.

Stair-Step Approach
Working with other public lands throughout Alaska, the Chugach Children's Forest is creating a "stair-step" approach designed to connect communities to nearby nature opportunities like city parks, community and schoolyard habitats, and other close-at-hand natural environments.  These backyard pathways encourage outdoor experiences closer to home and help lead to increased connections with other parks, forests, and refuges throughout Alaska.

Youth-Managed Forest
Portions of the Chugach National Forest are being set aside for long-term, youth-oriented management. Participating students work closely with the Forest Service to recommend designations, boundaries, and user considerations, helping to lay the groundwork for careers in natural resource management.

Climate Change Monitoring
The Chugach Children's Forest is working to establish permanent climate change research sites where students shadow researchers from the Forest Service and universities and conduct quantifiable, inquiry-based research that monitors the impacts of climate change on America’s forest and wetland ecosystems.

Youth-Directed Media
Youth programs emphasize the development of a broad range of media skills, including film-making, radio production, photography, interpretive writing, and social networking, with consistent messages educating children and families about the importance of spending time outdoors

Classroom Engagement
To bring outdoor education into the classroom, the Chugach Children's Forest is collaborating with with educators throughout southcentral Alaska and partnering with other outdoor organizations already working directly with middle and high school classrooms.