Arts & Culture

Community & Economic Development

Karluk Manor - Community Perceptions and Relationship

Professor Sharon Chamard, of the Justice Department at UAA, is conducting a study of the effects of the Karluk Manor project in Fairview. Karluk Manor is a housing first project for chronic inebriates. Chamard is investigating whether this project increases or decreases the occurrences of disruptive public behavior due to concentrating this population in one area.

This project involves observing the area before Karluk Manor is opened and periodically during its operation to note any changes in public behavior. Surrounding businesses will also be surveyed in order to collect information about the frequency of their interactions with inebriated people.

Mountain View Revitalization Needs Assessment

Professor Diane Hirshberg, along with one UAA student, conducted a survey of Mountain View residents at the request of the Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT). The survey was intended to collect feedback on their projects and efforts for revitalization implemented in Mountain View. The project was set up as a 4-credit independent study for the student and was extended into a Summer service project as well.

Youth Education & Development - Early to Middle

Creative Activities Fair

UAA's Early Childhood Education Program and the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department co-sponsored a Creative Activities Fair on Nov. 12 at the Spenard Rec Center. More than 300 caregivers and children (infants through third grade) participated along with more than 70 early childhood and elementary education students from UAA. Professor Robert Capuozzo, with the College of Education, is in charge of the biannual event that started running in 2007. Free for families, the fair featured 20 different activities to engage young children in a variety of ways. While the next one comes around in March 2012, enjoy this slideshow from this past fair.

PROVIDENCE EARLY LEARNING LAB

The Providence Early Learning Lab (PELL) is a partnership between the Providence Center for Child Development and the University of Alaska Anchorage department of teaching and early learning program. This is an opportunity for preservice students to observe and engage the young children through creating and implementing lesson plans with the guidance of their professors. 

The mission has two major components; the first is to create a program that is gives hands on learning and guidance to preservice students so that they can be the best possible teachers. The second is to play a role in the development of best practice learning environments that improve early learning in communities all over the state. Research is conducted improve and provide the best possible early education for our younger Alaskans.

Youth Education & Transition to Young Adulthood

Campus Connections

This is a mentoring project started in fall of 2011 which strives to help foster care students transition into college life.  Current college students are mentors to foster care students who are transitioning into college life. The goal is to help foster care students stay in college and earn their degrees. This program is developed by UAA's Center for Community Engagement and Learning.

UAA Transitions

This is a project put together by ISER and is run by Professor Marie Lowe which strives to help at risk high school students learn leadership skills and transition into college life. The program occurs over the course of the spring semester and the students meet three times for full days over this time. They participate in teamwork and leadership building activities and learn what life is like on a college campus. UAA students can be involved by helping as mentors for the high school students. To find out how to get involved, visit UAA Transitions' website!

Environment & Sustainability

Food Security & Affordable Housing

Health & Mental Health

Alaska Cares: Dental Days at UAA

UAA and several partners jointogether to provide two days of free dental care to individuals who are on a limited budget and have no dental insurance. Events occur throughout the year. Services provided include exams, radiographs, cleanings, sealants, amalgam restorations and composite restorations. All patients for this free clinic must go through a lottery process.

For more information, please contact the School of Allied Health at (907) 786-4346.

Immigrants & Refugees

University of Alaska Anchorage nursing students prepare Bhutanese refugees for first Alaska winter

In 2009, eight senior nursing students from UAA’s The School of Nursing worked together with Professor Catherine Sullivan to provide quality health education and care to a group of newly arrived refugees in Anchorage.  The approached this project by interviewing the refugee groups to learn about their homes and needs, took members of the group to view important sites in the city, and worked one-on-one developing relationships and trust. Through this, the students were able to come aside the refugees and prepare them for live in the U.S.—and winters in Alaska.

This project brought several local Anchorage entities together to produce a graphic novel telling the story of five immigrant families relocated to Alaska. Over the course of 10 months the Alaska Immigration Justice Project and the University of Alaska Anchorage students and faculty, Assistant Professor Mara Kimmel and Professor Garry Kaulitz, worked toward their goal of giving “voice to Alaskan families and puts a human face on the immigration debate as it unfolds in our community and our state” (Portraits, 2011, p. 1). The novel is available online for free.

Begun as part of a UAA class project exploring the needs of refugee youth, this musical group combines the diverse musical and dance talents of students who have been settled in Anchorage from all over the world. These boys and girls, ranging from age 8 to 17, come together in the face of the extreme hardships they have faced to express themselves with hauntingly beautiful music. Visit their website to hear their music, learn more, and view their digital scrapbook!

Safe Families & Safe Communities

Statewide Victimization Survey

UAA faculty member André Rosay is collaborating with the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault on the Alaska Victimization Surveys FY11. The initiative began in 2010 and some results for the 2011 survey have been published including, the results for Anchorage and Fairbanks. This project was created to collect data for Alaska that would determine whether the high reports of domestic violence and sexual assault are due to high rates of victimization, high rates of reporting, or both. The report is modeled after the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Surveillance System (NISVSS), which was started in 2009, and is designed to generate accurate lifetime and 12-month incidence and prevalence estimates on intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking victimization. The 2011 reports included additional information on the location of past year victimizations and on victimizations witnessed by children.