ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska State Legislature voted last year to recognize the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) for 30 years of outstanding service to Alaska’s youth and communities. On Friday, Feb. 20, Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, presented the citation to the ANSEP community. This recognition highlights ANSEP’s vital role in education across Alaska and how the program has improved quality and accessibility of educational and career development opportunities to Alaska’s students.
“ANSEP empowers and inspires thousands of Alaskans to reach their potential. For three decades ANSEP has invited Alaskan youth to participate in STEM and helped them to succeed,” Senator Dunbar stated. “At a time when science and Native programs are threatened, we must commend the work of ANSEP’s staff and recognize the meaning it has for students across our state.”
ANSEP takes a comprehensive, long-term approach to student success, beginning in elementary school with STEM Ready. The pathway continues through Middle School Academy and STEM Career Explorations for grades six through eight, and advances into high school with Acceleration Academy, offering full-time and summer opportunities. Support then extends through University and Graduate Success and into the workforce, helping thousands of students thrive in STEM and business fields across Alaska as part of the ANSEP community.
Founded in 1995 as a scholarship program for one student, ANSEP has grown to support thousands of individuals across the state. Throughout the decades, ANSEP’s impact and effectiveness have been recognized at the state and national levels, including:
- 2020 Education Award from Association of Village Council Presidents, 2020.
- Most Exceptional Program in STEM Education and Workforce Development by the U.S. Department of Energy, Minorities in Energy Initiative, 2014.
- Top 25 Innovations in American Government by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, 2013.
- Alaska Federation of Natives Denali Award, 2005.
- Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, 2004.
These honors, among many others, reflect the strength of ANSEP’s educational model and its ongoing contributions to Alaska’s future. The legislative citation acknowledges ANSEP’s role in transforming lives and contributing to Alaska’s most valuable resource, its youth.
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