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Monday, April 15, 2019
Summer STEM opportunities in Alaska
Get ahead academically with summer programs


 School may still be in session, but it is never too early to start making plans for summer vacation. Just because students aren’t in class doesn’t mean they should stop learning. Summer is the perfect time to take an extra class, dive deeper into an interesting subject or attend educational summer camps.
 
The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program offers year-round opportunities for students to engage with STEM education. From middle school to high school to the university level and all the way through doctoral programs, ANSEP helps students make the most of summer break. The best part about ANSEP’s summertime activities is that they are all free to students and parents.
Check out the ANSEP summer STEM opportunities:
Middle School Academy
At Middle School Academy, students live in dorms on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus and work alongside like-minded peers. Making new friends and participating in hands-on STEM activities are just a couple parts of the introductory component that gets students excited about their future. It sparks an interest in careers as scientists, doctors, engineers and more.
Computer builds are always a student-favorite, and it’s how we kick off all our Middle School Academies. An added bonus is that students get to keep the computer after the component ends as long as they stay on track to complete Algebra I math before high school and maintain a “B” in math and science.
The two Middle School Academies scheduled for summer 2019 are July 8 – 16 and July 20 – 28. Anchorage area students who are interested in attending should apply by April 19.
STEM Career Exploration
Each summer STEM Career Exploration welcomes back students grades seven through nine who previously attended Middle School Academy. The five-day, residential component challenges returning students to dive deeper into a particular facet of STEM education that interests them.
Working alongside industry professionals and ANSEP staff, the students learn about the many different STEM career paths available. The component teaches students how an interest in biology translates to a passion for working in healthcare. It highlights how an interest in nature can lead to a successful Geology career.
The 2019 STEM Career Exploration component dates are:
• Energy Sciences, June 10 – 14.
• Geological Sciences, June 17 – 21.
• Health Sciences, June 24 – 28.
• Marine Sciences, July 15 – 19.
The application deadline for this component has passed for 2019, but keep an eye on the ANSEP website to stay updated on future opportunities and deadlines.
Acceleration Academy (Summer)
At Acceleration Academy (Summer), high school students live on the UAA campus and earn a college math or science credit. Throughout the component, students develop a familiarity with the college lifestyle and build relationships with like-minded peers and college professors.
Rocket builds, first aid certification courses, boat trips, DNA coding and kayak building are just a few of the engaging, hands-on STEM activities.
Students who are interested must apply online, provide two teacher recommendations, transcripts, ALEKS scores, and a 500-word essay. Although the summer 2019 application deadline has passed, students can still apply for the full-time Acceleration Academy (Anchorage) and (Mat-Su).
Summer Bridge
The best way for students to transition from high school to college is through ANSEP’s Summer Bridge component. Hosted on the UAA campus, the component helps recent high school graduates adjust to the college lifestyle. Additionally, students earn free college credits and work a paid internship in the industry of their choice. Throughout the summer, the students gain real-world career experience and participate in valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Strategic partners who employ ANSEP Summer Bridge students include:
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game

• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

• Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

• Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

• BP

• Bristol Bay Native Association

• Bureau of Land Management

• Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement

• ConocoPhillips

• ExxonMobil

• Kawera

• Kuskokwim Native Association

• LGL Alaska Research Associates

• Mystic Aquarium

• National Wildlife Service

• North Slope Bureau

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• U.S. Forest Service

• U.S. Geological Survey
Students who successfully complete Summer Bridge are eligible for scholarships to any University of Alaska branch the following semester. The summer 2019 dates are May 25 – Aug. 2.
University and Graduate Success
The ANSEP University and Graduate Success components are year-round and provide students with summer internship opportunities. Many of the ANSEP strategic partners are the same as our Summer Bridge partners. This component helps undergraduate students as well as doctoral and graduate students earn money toward college tuition, gain real-world career experience and develop relationships with professors and industry professionals. Students participating in Graduate and University Success finish college with research experience, career skills and the networking connections necessary to succeed in STEM careers.
Other Summer STEM opportunities
Although many of the ANSEP summertime deadlines have passed, there are other summertime STEM opportunities in Alaska. Some include:


•Cook Inlet Tribal Council: STEM Learning Labs connect high school students for peer-to-peer activities that promote community involvement and academic success.
•STEM AK: Powered by the Juneau Economic Development Council, STEM AK offers summer science camps that incorporate Legos, robotics, 3D printing and EV3 programming.
•Alaska Zoo: Kids interested in a career as a zoologist should check out the Alaska Zoo Adventure Camp.
•Girl Scouts of Alaska: Summer camps help girls of all ages develop leadership skills, outdoor training and an interest in STEM education. Many camps do not require scout membership.
•Challenger Learning Center of Alaska: Aerial robotics, forensic science and engineering camps are just a few activities at the center’s Summer STEM Academy 2019.
•UAA College of Engineering: Third through 12th grade students from Anchorage, Kenai and Mat-Su can apply for the Summer Engineering Academies.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Students find a passion for STEM at ANSEP Middle School Academy


Many people who have successful STEM careers grew up with the mindset of wondering not if but where they would attend college. That’s not the case for many students in Alaska, though. It is even less likely that this is the case for those from rural communities, where residents often lack exposure to higher education. The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program is working to change that by helping students realize their full potential and start working toward their goals at an early age.
Through components like Middle School Academy, ANSEP sparks an early interest in science, technology, engineering and math and helps students envision college as part of their future. Through hands-on, interactive activities, the students realize real-world applications for the skills they learn in class and how those translate to STEM careers that can positively impact their communities.
This year, ANSEP is hosting all-expenses-paid Middle School Academy sessions in partnership with the Bering Strait, Kashunamuit, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Lower Kuskokwim, Lower Yukon, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Juneau, Chatham, Hoonah City, Haines Borough, Lake and Peninsula, Bristol Bay Borough, Dillingham City, Southwest Regional and Northwest Arctic Borough school districts as well as the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Sealaska Corporation, Alaska Community Foundation, Huna Totem and ConocoPhillips. Following a college-style application process, middle school students from across Alaska are accepted based on their academic performance and essay application responses. Students currently enrolled in sixth, seventh or eighth grade are eligible to apply.
Through interactive, educational activities like visits to the planetarium and Alaska SeaLife Center, squid dissections and earthquake engineering labs, students see practical uses for STEM education in everyday life. Some of the team-building activities include:
Balsa wood bridge build: Industry professionals provide students with a foundation in structural engineering before students design and build their own bridges. From using the beam theory to calculate force to testing how certain materials buckle under tension, students see first-hand uses for engineering in everyday life.
Snug house activity: Renewable Energy Alaska Project professionals teach students about the importance of balancing heating cost and heating efficiency using different types of insulation, learning about insulation R-value, renewable energy sources, and applying some of these concepts to buildings in Alaska by assembling their own insulation barriers inside of a wooden box, or “snug house”, to model an actual arctic building wall. After assembling their model buildings, students test the temperature and calculate the cost efficiency of their designs.
Computer build: Students assemble computers to learn about how they work, what role each part has, and how to install the operating system and software. An added incentive is that any student who maintains a “B” average in math and science and completes Algebra I before high school can keep the computer he or she built.
Windmill challenge: Students compete in a windmill challenge to see how wind turbines work to capture energy and convert it to usable mechanical energy. Using limited materials within a designated timeframe, the students design and build windmills capable of lifting heavy objects. 
Each Middle School Academy component invites approximately 50 students to experience a college lifestyle on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. For many students, Middle School Academy is their first time leaving home or traveling without their parents. Cultural activities make students feel at home and help them bond with peers from across Alaska. Participating in challenging activities, working alongside real engineers, scientists and professors and living in college dorms establishes a sense of comfort and familiarity with STEM education and the college lifestyle.
By making STEM education exciting and demonstrating how this education can translate into a successful career, Middle School Academies help students jumpstart their future. Students leave the two-week component feeling confident to succeed in high school, college and beyond.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Full speed ahead with full-time ANSEP components


What does a 15-year-old Acceleration Academy student have in common with Dr. Michelle Yatchmeneff, a Sloan scholar and faculty mentor, National Science Foundation grant recipient and University of Alaska Anchorage’s first female Alaska Native professor? They both took steps towards a STEM career with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program – and you can too!
Sure, it is still fall, but it’s never too early to start planning for your future. ANSEP is currently accepting applications for our 2019 spring and fall semesters at Acceleration Academy (UAA) and Acceleration Academy (Mat-Su) so you can apply for the full-time, no-cost component today.
Students attending ANSEP Acceleration Academies have the opportunity to earn two years or more of college credit before graduating high school, but that’s not all they will gain from ANSEP’s innovative component. The collaborative, hands-on learning experience teaches students how to work together in teams and exposes them to real-world applications for STEM education. By taking and succeeding in advanced academic courses, the students realize their full academic potential and simultaneously build confidence and a thirst for knowledge.
Although Acceleration Academy is challenging, the ANSEP community enables students to succeed by providing support and encouragement.
“We believe students are most successful when they feel challenged and encouraged. We build a community that becomes a family by engaging in weekly meetings, hosting social activities, and providing collaborative study sessions. By working together, pushing themselves to solve difficult problems or equations and developing solutions, our Acceleration Academy students feel empowered and excited,” said ANSEP Acceleration Academy (UAA) Regional Director Mikayla Savikko.
When Acceleration Academy (UAA and Mat-Su) students aren’t busy studying college-level Calculus or engaging in hands-on lab work, you can find them spending time with their ANSEP peers. Social events like pumpkin carving, costume and pie eating contests with ANSEP University Success students build camaraderie and excite students about the college lifestyle.
Current and incoming high school students can jumpstart their STEM careers by applying for Acceleration Academy (UAA) or Acceleration Academy (Mat-Su) today.
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Monday, September 24, 2018
Christian Douglas
Anchorage, Alaska


Christian Douglas, who lives in Anchorage, is a 14-year-old Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik. He loves playing sports – his favorites are wrestling, track and basketball. His favorite subject in school? Alaska history. In many ways, Christian sounds like an average Mears Middle School eighth grader, but, with the help of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, he is already on the fast track to a STEM career.
Christian comes from a big family. Two of his cousins, Troy Walker and Aatem Cooke, who previously attended ANSEP Middle School Academy and STEM Career Exploration components, recommended that Christian get involved with ANSEP.
“Middle School Academy was just as exciting as my cousins promised,” said Christian. “Aatem loved ANSEP so much he enrolled full-time at Acceleration Academy (UAA), and now I’m interested in following in his footsteps.”
Christian said his favorite part about Middle School Academy was building the computer. Although some parts were challenging, he found it surprisingly easy to complete.
“I am very interested in technology and computers,” said Christian. “I’d never done anything like this before, and it was amazing to see all the different parts and learn how they all come together to make a working machine.”
Another aspect of ANSEP Christian enjoyed was the community. Throughout the two-week, residential component, Christian and the other students chosen to participate in last summer’s Middle School Academy, held in partnership with Anchorage School District, had an authentic college experience living on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.
“Living in the dorms was a really interesting experience, and I felt like a real college student,” said Christian. “I made a lot of friends and realized that ANSEP is just a large community of peers who like math and science and want to support each other.”
Christian attended Middle School Academy over the summer, but he feels that his experience continues to benefit him during the school year.
“ANSEP got me thinking about education earlier than normal and helped me start the school year in the right academic mindset,” Christian said. “I am also able to use the computer I built to study and do homework. Thanks to ANSEP, I’m currently excelling at Algebra 1 and my other STEM classes.”
Although Christian isn’t sure what his dream career is, he does plan to stay involved with ANSEP and hopes to attend Acceleration Academy (Summer) next year.
“I’m still figuring my STEM career goals, but I’m sure career development opportunities at ANSEP components like Acceleration Academy will help me decide,” said Christian.
Thanks to ANSEP, students across Alaska like Christian are on track for bright futures with successful STEM careers!
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Tristan Andrew
Anchorage, Alaska


Tristan Andrew, an 11-year-old Yup’ik from Anchorage, is only in sixth grade but is already taking steps to jumpstart his STEM career. Like many middle school students, Tristan enjoys playing video games like Roblox and Fortnite with his friends. However, it isn’t all fun and games for Tristan, who dreams of becoming a computer programmer. Learning about these video games helps him prepare for his future career and this summer, the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program gave Tristan his first taste of life as a STEM Professional.
At ANSEP’s Middle School Academy, he learned how computers work at a computer build activity, led by ANSEP staff and industry professionals.
“Initially, I thought we were going to build a box computer but then I saw the monitors and realized we were building a Windows 10 computer,” said Tristan. “We learned about all the different parts and how they come together to make the computer function. It was really exciting!”
Not only did Tristan learn how to build the computer, as an added incentive to the component, he also gets to keep it, provided he stays on track to finish Algebra 1 and Geometry before eighth grade. Another part of of Middle School Academy Tristan really enjoyed was the balsa bridge build.
“It was surprising how complicated it was to build the balsa bridge. It took us several tries but the ANSEP teachers helped us use teamwork and problem-solving skills to figure it out,” said Tristan.
Now that summer is over, Tristan is back to school at College Gate Elementary where math and science are his favorite subjects. However, he is already looking forward to spending next summer with ANSEP.
“I learned so much at Middle School Academy that I want to return next summer for STEM Career Exploration,” Tristan said. “At the coding component, students learned to code and operate drones and took 3D modeling courses. That’s how I want to spend my summers!”
Although the computer build was Tristan’s favorite part of the component, he also enjoyed being surrounded by peers who share his love for math and science. The students even experienced the college lifestyle by living on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus for two weeks.
“I made so many new friends through ANSEP and living in the dorms made me feel like a real college student,” said Tristan. “Thanks to ANSEP, I’ve started envisioning the next steps to my STEM career and the role education plays in achieving my goals.”
For Tristan and many other ANSEP students, Middle School Academy is the first step toward a STEM Career. We look forward to seeing Tristan next summer and can’t wait to see where his STEM dreams take him!

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Monday, August 27, 2018
Elizabeth Griggs
Anchorage, Alaska


Elizabeth Griggs spent part of her summer studying math and science while she lived in a dorm room on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. She has always wanted a STEM career; and, after doing research on the computer she built herself and hearing from industry professionals, she has narrowed down her field of interest and decided she wants to be a herpetologist.
Elizabeth, only 11 years old, currently attends the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School and is proud of her Yup’ik and Alutiiq heritage. As an ANSEP student, she loves being able to focus on jumpstarting her STEM career while also celebrating her cultural background. Her older brother, Peter Joseph Griggs, spent three years with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program and recommended she apply to Middle School Academy.
“I was nervous at first because I didn’t know anyone when I started Middle School Academy. But I made friends immediately, and the college dorm felt like home,” said Elizabeth. “My favorite part was the computer build. Not only did we get to put it together ourselves, we got to take it home and now I can use it to study for school.”
At Middle School Academy, Elizabeth learned about engineering through hands-on activities like building towers and bridges. The students practiced flying drones, and learned about the different types of unmanned aerial vehicles and what they are used for.
“It was really cool to see how engineering affects us more than we realize. Someone built the bridges and roads we drive on, someone designed the houses we live in. ANSEP helped make science seem very real in my everyday life,” said Elizabeth.
Throughout the component ANSEP Youth Peer Mentors, typically ANSEP University Success students, shared their accomplishments to motivate the younger students and highlight how the program can help them achieve their STEM goals. After learning about many different uses for math and science, Elizabeth said two people were particularly inspiring, her Youth Peer Mentor Derek Sevcik and cultural anthropologist Joshua Ream, Ph.D., of the Department of Interior Office of Subsistence Management. Dr. Ream shared stories about his STEM career experience with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and talked about the many different career paths available, including herpetology.
“Before ANSEP, I’d never heard of a herpetologist, and now I want to become one,” said Elizabeth. “A herpetologist is a type of zoologist who specifically studies amphibians and reptiles. I can’t imagine a more interesting STEM career!”
When she isn’t busy studying, Elizabeth enjoys playing with her baby brother, watching Jurassic Park and learning more about the world around her.
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Friday, August 17, 2018
Teagan Bailey
Anchorage, Alaska


Across Alaska and around the country, students are getting their heads back in school mode this week. Eleven-year-old Teagan Bailey has had education on his mind all summer, though, spending ten days of it living like a college student on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus at ANSEP’s Middle School Academy.
Two years ago Teagan’s older brother Aimery Bailey attended ANSEP Middle School Academy. After hearing from Aimery about how much knowledge he gained from the component and how much fun it was, Teagan wanted to experience it for himself. When he found out he had been accepted to the Middle School Academy this summer, he couldn’t wait to get a head start his own STEM education and career.
“Middle School Academy was so much fun,” said Teagan. “I made so many new friends and learned how to use teamwork to solve math and science problems. I’m already excited to come back next summer for STEM Career Exploration.”
When asked about his favorite part of Middle School Academy, Teagan had a hard time choosing among making new friends, building his own computer and designing a balsa bridge.
“I think the balsa bridge build was my favorite part,” Teagan ultimately decided. “Each team chose which design to build and how to go about building it. We put the frame together first, which made it harder to connect the inside pieces. But, with teamwork and a little help from the ANSEP staff, we figured it out together!”
By overcoming challenges created by activities like the balsa bridge build, Teagan says he feels confident and prepared to start the new school year.
“Many students are just now starting to think about math and science. It has been on my mind all summer. Those are my favorite subjects in school so it was really cool to be surrounded by peers at ANSEP Middle School Academy who share those interests,” said Teagan.
Although he is only going into the sixth grade, Teagan already knows he wants to be a STEM professional when he is older and has even narrowed down his field of interest.
“My dream is to become an astronaut. I know if I want to do that, it will be very hard work and take lots of math and science,” said Teagan. “At Middle School Academy, I’m already learning the skills I need to be successful in my upper-level classes. That puts me one step closer to achieving my dreams!”
Over the years, ANSEP has delighted students like Teagan, who not only respect and admire astronauts but want to become one, by selecting speakers for the annual ANSEP Celebration who have made incredible achievements in the aerospace field and had an impact everywhere from mission control to the surface of the moon to Mars.
In 2016, the speaker was renowned NASA Aerospace Engineer Anita Sengupta, lead systems engineer for the supersonic parachute required to successfully deliver the Mars rover Curiosity to the planet’s surface. Prior to that, ANSEP hosted four NASA astronauts over the years. ANSEP students, alumni, parents and strategic partners were able to gather inspiration from real American heroes like Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two men to land on the moon as part of Apollo 11; Gene Cernan, the last man on the moon, as part of the Apollo 17 mission; and Jim Lovell, best known as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission who was played by Tom Hanks in the film adaptation. Perhaps ANSEP’s biggest tie to the world of astronauts? The organization actually worked to first develop its first Middle School Academy in partnership with the Bernard Harris Foundation, the charitable organization founded by the first African American to walk in space.
Teagan’s favorite thing about space exploration is that the possibilities are endless and it goes on forever. With his drive and determination as well as knowing how important math and science are to his education and career, Teagan is on track to go from the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier.
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Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Kadin Dayton
Fairbanks, Alaska


Thirteen-year-old Kadin Dayton may not know exactly what he wants to do when he grows up; but, thanks to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, he knows he wants to pursue a STEM career. Kadin, a seventh-grade student from Fairbanks, first became involved with ANSEP as a Middle School Academy attendee last summer.
After building a computer and learning about other real-world applications for math and science, he returned to ANSEP for STEM Career Exploration this summer. At the health-focused component, Kadin gained valuable insight into the daily life of a health care professional while working alongside like-minded peers. Led by industry professionals, students from across Alaska participated in hands-on, interactive activities designed to spark an early interest in STEM education. Brain injury safety egg helmet labs, cardiopulmonary labs and mock patient diagnoses are some of the ways students learned about careers as a doctor or scientist.
At STEM Career Exploration, he talked to doctors, who explained how they diagnose patients, what symptoms they look for and how to provide a cure. The first-hand interaction helped Kadin realize that doctors are normal people, just like him, who worked hard in school and followed their dreams of becoming a health care professional.
“The best thing about ANSEP is how fun the activities are. We’re having such a good time doing the activities that we actually forget we are learning,” said Kadin. “My favorite activity was the prosthetic leg lab. It is really cool to see how science can actually help people.”
Although Kadin is only in middle school, he plans to stay involved with ANSEP and hopes to return for Acceleration Academy (Summer) next year. Summertime components like Middle School Academy and Acceleration Academy (Summer) provide students like Kadin with the opportunity to cultivate study skills and prepare for college both academically and socially. Kadin said the ANSEP instructors shared their study habits and provided encouragement that motivates him to study hard all year long.
“Math and science have always been my favorite subjects. Thanks to ANSEP, I’m gaining real-life experience in different areas so, by the time I go to college, I’ll have a better idea about if I want to study science or engineering,” said Kadin.
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Thursday, July 19, 2018
Katelyn Piper
Kotzebue, Alaska


Katelyn Piper may come from a small town, but her dreams for the future are big. A 12-year-old from Kotzebue, Alaska, she already knows that she wants to be a marine biologist when she’s older. Thanks to the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program she has already taken the first steps towards her STEM career.
When she was in fifth grade, Katelyn’s teachers recommended she get involved with ANSEP’s STEM Ready component. She had so much fun learning about math and science through interactive games and team-based activities that she applied for Middle School Academy. She was accepted and traveled to Anchorage to complete the component in the fall of 2017.
“It was really cool to meet other students my age from all over the state. In many ways, we were very different – but we all loved science and math! The ANSEP teachers also taught us teambuilding skills so we learned how to work together,” said Katelyn.
In the summer of 2018, Katelyn returned to ANSEP for the health sciences STEM Career Exploration session, during which Alaska AHEC (Alaska Area Health Education Centers) program professionals led interactive activities focused on heart health, brain safety and cancer research. Her favorite part was the mock diagnosis that gave students a chance to practice being real doctors.
“It was really neat. One person would pretend to be sick and share their symptoms. Another student would be the ‘doctor’ and figure out what was wrong,” said Katelyn. “It was like solving one big, interactive puzzle.”
Katelyn enjoyed learning about health sciences at the STEM Career Exploration component because she thinks many of the skills can be applied to her future job as a marine biologist working to protect and conserve Alaska’s sea life.
“I love Alaska and want to live here when I’m older, but that means protecting and preserving the ocean,” said Katelyn. “ANSEP is helping me realize how one person really can make a difference by working as a scientist or biologist.”
Katelyn loves math and science, but in her spare time, her favorite thing to do is read fiction novels because they have something in common with the ocean. The content is vast, and the possibilities are endless.
Katelyn looks forward to spending many more summers with her new ANSEP friends. She has a massive appreciation for the educational opportunities that she receives as an ANSEP student, but her favorite part of the program is the community.
“At ANSEP, we’re having so much fun together that we forget we’re actually learning,” said Katelyn. “Then, at the end of the activities, we think about all the new information we gained and all the people who helped us along the way. It is a really cool process.”

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Deya Tallman
Anchorage, Alaska


Many people refer to Alaska as the Last Frontier, but Deya Tallman, an Athabascan from Anchorage, dreams of exploring the Final Frontier. He may only be 13, but he’s already reaching for the stars and beyond with his STEM career plans. Deya’s favorite subject in school has always been math, and he hopes to put his math skills to use as an astronaut or astronomer when he is older.
“My dream is to go to space someday,” said Deya. “I’m fascinated by space exploration, the vastness of it and how much there still is to learn.”
With the support of ANSEP, Deya’s STEM education is on the fast track. He first became involved with ANSEP in sixth grade when he attended Middle School Academy. He returned the following summer to ANSEP for the marine biology STEM Career Exploration, and this year he came back for a STEM Career Exploration session focused on health sciences.
“I initially heard about ANSEP from my oldest sister who attended Middle School Academy several years ago,” said Deya. “Then my older brothers both participated in ANSEP components as well. After hearing their stories about how fun the program was, I couldn’t wait to attend my first Middle School Academy.”
At Middle School Academy, Deya built a computer, which he still uses to study for school. He also uses it to research astrology and space in his spare time. Although he has enjoyed all the ANSEP components, his favorite so far was the marine biology STEM Career Exploration.
“We went on boat excursions to beaches where we tested the waters and observed wildlife. We also got to dissect different animals and learn about how their bodies work,” said Deya.
Deya enjoys the hands-on, innovative curriculum ANSEP offers, and he plans to stay involved throughout high school so he can attend Acceleration Academy and Summer Bridge. As much as Deya loves the scientific activities at ANSEP, his favorite thing about the program is the people. Through the different components, he has made friends from all across Alaska with many different backgrounds who all have one thing in common: a passion for STEM education.
“I’ve already learned so much through ANSEP. I’ve made friends and met mentors who inspire me every day,” said Deya. “Thanks to ANSEP, I will be prepared and on track for a STEM career!”
With the help of ANSEP, more than 2,500 students from across Alaska are chasing their dreams of becoming astronauts, scientists and engineers! Click here to learn more about how to get involved with ANSEP.
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