Going out to a school in the Bush is an optional component of the coursework, but it's an experience that I've been looking forward to since I started at UAF. With my background in cultural anthropology and my desire to be a math and/or science teacher, this seems like a really great opportunity for me. My professor has officially assigned me to a site: St. Mary's, Alaska! I will be in St. Mary's from Sunday, April 13th through Saturday, April 19th. One of the nicest parts about this trip is that I'm already friends with the other UAF student who also got assigned to St. Mary's. Allie and I have become friends over the past two semester, and in the past couple of months we've also started running together each weekday morning in Fairbanks. Adventures are almost always better when shared with a friend, so I'm quite grateful that we'll be going together.
I've heard a few things about St. Mary's, but I suspect that there will be much more for me to learn once I'm on the ground. What do I know so far?
1. St. Mary's is in southwestern Alaska on the Andreafsky River near where it flows into the Yukon River.
2. The community is primarily populated by Yupik people.
3. The school in St. Mary's is in a single site district, which means that the local community has more direct influence in the management of the school.
4. There are about 500 people in the town, which is about the same population as several of the towns where I lived in Kansas while growing up.
5. I've been assigned to observe and assist the math teacher. Allie will spend most of her time with the science teacher, though we'll likely have some times where we switch.
Unlike many of the places I've visited, there's no thoroughly researched travel guide for me to pick up before heading out to St. Mary's. It's exciting, though, and I'm looking forward to sharing my observations (and a few photos too) with you.
Thanks for joining me!
-corrie-