AKSEA: Alaska Knowledge, Science, and Education Alliance
About AKSEA
Photo by Kelsey Hawley. Courtesy of CRRC.
The Alaska Knowledge, Science, and Education Alliance (AKSEA) kicked off in the fall of 2025 and will continue in the fall of 2026. AKSEA aims to foster connections across the region and share knowledge from, and with, all our community members. It brings together experts and school educators to co-create lessons focused on marine-related anchoring phenomenon in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill region (EVOS). An anchoring phenomenon is either a fascinating real-world event or a meaningful design problem for students to investigate.
Teams of two experts and two teachers work together over the course of six months—mostly online—with the support of CORaL educators to create units and pilot lessons that will be made available online for other educators. This collaborative model fosters meaningful connections and reciprocal knowledge sharing.
Cohort members will participate in a growing network of supportive peers. Participants will learn or improve and refine skills related to:
- communicating and understanding place-based knowledge and natural events
- teaching and outreach strategies and best practices
- regional understanding
- collaboration
Teams will meet in person October 10–11, 2026 in Anchorage to connect and formulate their personalized collaborative plan. Groups will continue to meet virtually throughout the school year. Travel costs are included, and participants will be compensated for their time.
Applications Open March 1-31, 2026
- This project prioritizes communities within the region and knowledge that is applicable in the EVOS region, but the project is not limited to residents of the Oil Spill area.
- Teams of four: Two teachers paired with a local and an academic expert.
- All members of the team will help develop a school appropriate lesson.
- Teams will be determined by best matches
- Unit templates will be provided.
- Final products include a unit plan with written out directions for 2–5 days of lessons.
- Individual lessons within the unit should be cohesive enough to stand alone.
- One lesson or activity will be shared during final presentations by all members of the team.
- Final products will be posted online.
If you prefer to speak to someone as opposed to filling out the application, please reach out to the contact below.
Bring local, relevant knowledge and research to each team including: community experiences, current studies, traditional knowledge, and understanding of emerging technology or research methods. Experts include: elders, culture bearers, knowledge holders, graduate students, postdocs, research scientists and others.
$1,200
Teachers will relate the content to Alaska State standards, share age relevant pedagogy with their team, write final lessons, and pilot their lessons in their classroom. Teachers of all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Each team will have two teachers, one of which is currently teaching science.
$1,800
Program details
Applications
Open March 1–31. Application review begins April 1. Notification of acceptance by May.
September
Onboarding paperwork and survey. Zoom introductory meeting nuts and bolts call.
October 10–11, 2026
In person event in Anchorage. Travel provided.
Skills, content, team collaborative planning.
November - April
Virtual team meetings 3:45-4:45pm.
11/2, 12/7, 1/18, 2/22, 3/29, 4/26.
Additional team meetings if needed.
Mid-program evaluation survey.
May
Final presentations via Zoom and final feedback and reflection paperwork.
Reach out to Leigh Lubin, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Education Specialist for program questions.
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