Alaska Songbird Institute

RECRUIT AND TRAIN STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS TO COLLECT, ANALYZE AND PRESENT ECOLOGICAL DATA ON CLIMATE-CHANGE IMPACTS TO NESTING TREE

DESCRIPTION:THIS PROJECT PROVIDES FUNDING TO THE GRANTEE TO IMPLEMENT ITS PROJECT, WHICH WILL DESIGN, DEMONSTRATE, AND DISSEMINATE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PRACTICES, METHODS, AND TECHNIQUES, THAT WILL SERVE TO INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR THAT WILL BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON AN EXISTING PROGRAM TO TEACH THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PREPARE STUDENTS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) CAREERS. IT IS A MULTI-AGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE OLDER STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT LEADERSHIP, COLLABORATION, AND COMMUNICATION, AND YOUNGER STUDENTS SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND GROW INTO GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES. THIS WILL BE DONE BY TRAINING UNDERSERVED/DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN EXISTING LONG-TERM SONGBIRD MONITORING PROJECTS EVALUATING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SONGBIRDS. THE DATA COLLECTED HAS BEEN USED IN NUMEROUS PUBLICATIONS. STUDENTS WILL ALSO MAKE PRESENTATION TO THE COMMUNITY. STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN THE PAST HAVE GONE ONTO STEM CAREERS, BECOME EDUCATORS AND BECOME LEADERS IN INDUSTRY AND THE COMMUNITY. ACTIVITIES:THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA AND PROVIDE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED DURING THIS PROJECT PERIOD INCLUDE BUILD CAPACITY, REDUCE ECONOMIC BARRIERS, AND DEVELOP CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CONTENT IN THE STEM MENTORING AND HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS AND CREATE A ROBUST PATHWAY TO DEGREES AND CAREERS IN STEM FIELDS THROUGH INTERCONNECTED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND AN ALUMNI NETWORK. SUBRECIPIENT:THE SUB-GRANT PROGRAM WILL ENABLE THE GRANTEE TO GIVE FIVE SUBAWARDS TO ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD THEIR PROGRAMS AND TO HELP PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPORT TO LOW-INCOME STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAMS.OUTCOMES:IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING DELIVERABLES: 90 MIDDLE SCHOOL LOW-INCOME STUDENTS VOLUNTEER 2,000 HOURS ON LOCAL PROJECTS, AND 20 HIGH SCHOOL LOW-INCOME STUDENTS VOLUNTEER 1,800 ON LOCAL PROJECTS . ONE-TWO NEW STEM PROJECTS ARE CREATED FOR THE STUDENTS TO WORK ON. AND 20 HIGH SCHOOL STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED. 14 YOUTH/TEEN LED PRESENTATIONS ARE MADE FOR 420 PEOPLE IN THE TARGET COMMUNITIES, AND 36 FIELD TRIPS FOR 900 STUDENTS AND 36 TEACHERS ARE COMPLETED. EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE BELOW: (SHORT-TERM) - INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL AND STEM VOLUNTEER AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH AND TEENS IN THE COMMUNITY AND INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF BOREAL ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE; (MEDIUM-TERM) - DEVELOP KEY STEM SKILLS, OBSERVATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, COLLABORATION AND CRITIAL THINKING AND BUILD CONFIDENCE AND SELF-EFFICACY IN STEM FIELDS AND INCREASE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY; (LONG-TERM) - MENTORING ALASKA'S NEXT GENERATION OF STEM AND CONSERVATION LEADERS TO BE AGENTS OF SUSTAINABLE CHANGE IN INTERIOR ALASKA. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES WILL BE OVER 1,000 UNDERSERVED STUDENTS AND 36 TEACHERS IN AND 420 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA.

THE NORTH FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM ENGAGES PRIMARILY URBAN, UNDERSERVED YOUTH IN AN IMMERSIVEFIELD SCIENCE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION EXPERIENCE IN NORTHERN ALASKAS PUBLIC AND WILD LANDS.NORTH FOR SCIENCE AIMS TO ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC LITERACY, FOSTER A STEWARDSHIP ETHIC, AND FACILITATEDEEP PERSONAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS AND PUBLIC LANDS. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BYTAKING A GROUP OF 7TH AND 8TH GRADE YOUTH ON AN EIGHT DAY TRIP NORTH THROUGH ALASKAS CENTRALBROOKS RANGE ON THE DALTON HIGHWAY, CAMPING AT BLMS MARION CREEK AND GALBRAITH LAKECAMPGROUNDS, AND VISITING UNIVERSITY OF ALASKAS TOOLIK FIELD STATION. WHILE ON THE TRIP, THEYOUTH ARE INVOLVED IN A VARIETY OF PLACE-BASED INQUIRY LEARNING ACTIVITIES LED BY BLM OUTDOORRECREATION SPECIALISTS, OTHER AGENCY PERSONNEL AND EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, AND FIELD SCIENTISTS.THESE ACTIVITIES MAKE THE SCIENCE CONTENT RELEVANT AND COMPELLING, WHILE THE OUTDOOR CAMPINGNATURE OF THE TRIP ITSELF EMPOWERS PARTICIPANTS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO EXPERIENCEPUBLIC LANDS SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY. AS THE PROGRAM IS FREE FOR PARTICIPANTS, NORTH FOR SCIENCE NEEDS SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIP SUPPORT TO OPERATE. THESE BLM FUNDS WILL BE USED TO ASSIST THEPROGRAM WITH STAFFING, INSURANCE, VEHICLE RENTAL AND SUPPLIES.NORTH FOR SCIENCE FURTHERS DOIS AND THE ADMINISTRATIONS PRIORITIES BY TARGETING UNDERSERVED,LOW-INCOME YOUTH, INCREASING AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG YOUTH OF HOW THE UNITEDSTATES STEWARDS ITS PUBLIC LANDS, AND EXPOSING THESE YOUTH TO A VARIETY OF POTENTIAL FUTURECAREERS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND PUBLIC LAND RESOURCEMANAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP. NORTH FOR SCIENCE PARTICIPANTS GAIN AN ENHANCED UNDERSTANDINGOF AND ACCESS TO BLM PUBLIC LANDS ALONG THE DALTON HIGHWAY CORRIDOR, LEARN HOW CLIMATE CHANGEIS AFFECTING BOTH THE SUBARCTIC AND ARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS OF NORTHERN ALASKA, AND LEARN AND PRACTICESAFE AND RESPONSIBLE OUTDOOR RECREATION SKILLS ON PUBLIC LANDS. AS SUCH NORTH FOR SCIENCE PROVIDES BLMS OUTDOOR RECREATION SPECIALISTS OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH AND EDUCATE ANENGAGED AND ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP OF UNDERSERVED YOUTH. THIS DIRECT INTERACTION WITH PROGRAMPARTICIPANTS WILL ASSIST BLM IN DEVELOPING FUTURE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS REGARDING OUTDOOREDUCATION AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH ON PUBLIC LANDS. NORTH FOR SCIENCE ALSOPROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BLM RECREATION SPECIALISTS TO EXPLAIN AND DEMONSTRATE THEIRCAREERS, POTENTIALLY IGNITING THE INTEREST OF FUTURE BLM CAREERS AMONGST PARTICIPANTS.NORTH FOR SCIENCE DEVELOPS A FUTURE CADRE OF SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE PUBLIC LAND STEWARDS. BYPARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, THE YOUTH WILL DISCOVER INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE CAREERS RELATED TOARCTIC AND SUBARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE, EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE IN GENERAL, AND OR PUBLIC LANDRESOURCE MANAGEMENT. THROUGH NOTH FOR SCIENCE , PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS,AND PRACTICES NEEDED FOR SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE OUTDOOR RECREATION IN ALASKA. THESE OUTCOMESBENEFIT THE PARTICIPANTS DIRECTLY, AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AS OUR PUBLIC LANDS CAN BEST BESTEWARDED BY A CITIZENRY WHO HAVE DIRECT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF SAFE AND RESPONSIBLEOUTDOOR RECREATIONAL USE OF THOSE LANDS.

THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES AN IMMERSIVE AND INTENSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED YOUTH, TARGETING THOSE FROM THE URBAN CENTER OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, INCLUDING NEARBY MILITARY BASES. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE NORTH FOR SCIENCE! PROGRAM ARE TO: 1. PROVIDE YOUTH WITH AN IMMERSIVE OUTDOOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN INTERIOR AND NORTHERN ALASKA; 2. INVOLVE YOUTH IN HANDS-ON FIELD SCIENCE WITH AGENCY, UNIVERSITY, AND OTHER SCIENTISTS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL; 3. EXPOSE YOUTH TO SCIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CAREERS PATHS; 4. ENGAGE YOUTH IN LEARNING ABOUT ARCTIC AND SUBARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS; 5. FOSTER SCIENTIFIC LITERACY THROUGH HANDS-ON SCIENCE INQUIRY PROJECTS; 6. FAMILIARIZE YOUTH WITH KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND PRACTICES FOR SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE OUTDOOR RECREATION IN ALASKA; 7. INTRODUCE YOUTH TO PUBLIC LANDS, THEIR RESPECTIVE MANAGING AGENCIES, AND THOSE AGENCIES' MISSIONS AND ACTIVITIES; AND 8. PROMOTE PUBLIC LANDS CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP.