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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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Monday, March 11, 2019
ANSEP Answers: Ep. 01 with Augustine Hamner
ANSEP Answers is a behind-the-scenes look into the ANSEP community and the incredibly intelligent, capable, fun and diverse group of people who are part of it. 

Ep. 01 with Augustine Hamner

Augustine Hamner first became involved with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program in the summer of 2015. As an Acceleration Academy (Summer) student, she saw first-hand how exciting engineering could be. From building unmanned aerial vehicles and biomaterials to conducting earthquake engineering tests and carbon fiber training sessions, she was hooked. She returned the following summer to Acceleration Academy to be reunited with her ANSEP friends and earn more college credits.
Spending time on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus helped Augustine envision college as part of her future. She was eager to stay involved with ANSEP after high school graduation and did so by participating in the Summer Bridge component. Designed to help students transition to college, Summer Bridge allows students like Augustine to adjust to life on campus while earning free college credits and gaining invaluable career experience through paid internships with one of ANSEP’s highly respected strategic partners like BP.
As a Summer Bridge student, Augustine worked a paid STEM internship for BP and earned credits towards her engineering degree. The relationships Augustine built with fellow students and college professors through ANSEP Acceleration Academy (Summer) and Summer Bridge made her feel right at home when she became a full-time student at UAA, where she is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree. Another important part of Augustine’s ANSEP experience? Through all the Moose’s Tooth pizza served at ANSEP’s Friday student meetings, she has discovered her favorite is Chipotle Steak.


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Wednesday, September 06, 2017
Kelsy Panruk
Chefornak, Alaska

Kelsy Panruk is proud of her Yup’ik heritage and dreams of becoming a civil engineer. Her goal is to improve the quality of life in her hometown of Chefornak, Alaska, and it is also a priority for her that she keep her family’s traditions alive for many years to come. With support and guidance from the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program, Kelsy’s dreams have quickly taken shape.

This summer, Kelsy spent 10 weeks participating in ANSEP’s residential Summer Bridge component. She prepared for college by living on campus at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she is now a full-time student. Over the summer she made lifelong friends while completing a paid internship and earning credit toward her degree. According to Kelsy, ANSEP inspired her to stay true to her heritage and follow her passion for giving back.

“I have always loved math and science, and I am passionate about my Yup’ik heritage. Through ANSEP, I’m following my dreams of becoming a civil engineer alongside peers and mentors who share my passion for STEM and continuing our cultural traditions,” said Kelsy.

During her internship with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, she gained hands-on biological experience that opened her eyes to real issues that are impacting her hometown, such as climate change and lack of proper water facilities. Kelsy takes pride in her culture and wants to help preserve it for future generations, specifically the traditional language, dances and hunting methods passed down by her Yup’ik ancestors. Kelsy says that, over the years, she has seen first hand the impact of climate change in Chefornak and has therefore witnessed the dire need for improved infrastructure. By earning her civil engineering degree then working to improve Chefornak’s local water and sewage systems, Kelsy will be helping to build a community where her native culture can thrive.

Thanks to ANSEP and her Summer Bridge experience, Kelsy is prepared and eager to be successful as a full-time student at UAA, where she will study civil engineering. Summer Bridge was Kelsy’s first ANSEP component, and she looks forward to getting further involved with ANSEP and pursuing a STEM career in Alaska. Students like Kelsy have access to ANSEP’s proven educational model thanks to ANSEP’s strategic partners, such as the Association of Village Council Presidents, a nonprofit organization that works to effect positive change in their region, which includes Kelsy’s hometown of Chefornak.
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Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Yosty Storms
Unalakleet, Alaska


“In general, education is something that you obtain that no one can take away from you,” wisely states Shaylyn Storms. Shaylyn, more commonly known as Yosty, will be the first in her family to graduate with a college education, thanks to the loving support from her immediate family, as well as her ANSEP community.

Yosty’s academic journey started in her small village of Unalakleet. Then she set out to pursue her education and nestled into her temporary home away from home, at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. It was here that Yosty was first introduced to what would become her forever home, ANSEP. In 2010, during her junior year, Yosty participated in the computer build program, which she still has fond memories of to this day. She also distinctly remembers Mike Nabers, affectionately referred to as “Big Mike” (ANSEP Alum and former employee), visiting her classroom and advocating student involvement in ANSEP. Both of these events combined, accelerated her toward becoming an avid member and supporter of ANSEP and ultimately joining the ANSEP family.

At the end of her junior year, Yosty participated in and successfully completed Acceleration Academy, earning university credits over the summer. She then transitioned into the Summer Bridge program her senior year. Yosty considers ANSEP as a “pathway” for her since high school. “In high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated; ANSEP really encouraged me to pursue a degree in STEM.” Having more clarity and feeling more equipped than ever, Yosty entered the university and immediately became an ANSEP University Success Student her freshman year, studying Natural Sciences.

During her time as a university student, she overcame many obstacles with the avid support of her ANSEP community. One of those obstacles was mathematics. Yosty expressed, “I never liked math because I thought I was not very good at it. Through ANSEP, I learned how to appreciate it and even do well in it.” Even though Calculus I is the uppermost math requirement for her major, she surpassed that requirement by taking and passing Calculus II.

“I find it not only interesting, but inspirational how ANSEP has given the opportunity for Alaskan Natives to succeed in STEM.” ANSEP has specifically helped Yosty succeed in the STEM field and profession by providing her with an internship for two summers in Barrow, Alaska. She had the opportunity to work closely with the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management as a wildlife biological technician. Yosty worked on a variety of tasks from working closely with mentors, interacting within the communities to data entry and examination.

During a weekly Friday ANSEP meeting, she became acquainted with some employees of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which is one of ANSEP’s many strategic partners. This face-to-face introduction encouraged her to apply for a summer internship with USGS. Yosty was hired and worked for USGS this past summer as a biological science technician. Once her internship ended, she was quickly offered a position working as a career pathways graduate student this upcoming January, which is a position she fully intends to accept.

Being Alaskan Native herself, more specifically Iñupiaq, Yosty has always had a heart for her people, cultural values and the traditional way of life. In five years, she endeavors to have her graduate degree in Marine Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. With that degree under her belt, Yosty hopes to get her dream job as a Marine Biologist. She wants to use this career path to work closely with the people in coastal communities and affect change. Yosty realizes the importance of subsistence for her people and how crucial it is to protect their way of life. She grew up on the coast and, traditionally, all of her food came from the ocean. Yosty wants to ensure that if there are changes with marine life, that her people know about it and can appropriately adapt to those changes.

Now 22 years old, Yosty will be the first in her family to graduate with a college degree. Yosty will graduate this month with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Being the fourth oldest in her family of eight siblings, she desires to be an example for her younger sisters and brothers. Over the years, Yosty’s mother showed incredible work ethic and self-sacrifice. Her mother’s hard work empowered Yosty all the more to give back by undertaking and accomplishing a college education; as Yosty selflessly stated, “It’s the least I could do.” Yosty’s family is, without a doubt, her central motivation to succeed and excel in her education and, furthermore, in life.

Though Yosty will be walking across the Alaska Airlines Center stage at the December commencement ceremony and no longer frequenting places on campus, she has some great advice to leave behind:

“If you are passionate about earning your STEM degree, don’t give up on it. Always stay positive and reach out to others.”

If anyone is a perfect example of that, it’s Yosty Storms.


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