In addition to the classes being taught on SAHS grounds, the students will also get the opportunity to come to UAA’s campus. According to History Department Chair Dr. Ian Hartman, “While the class will be hosted at South High, and ultimately taught by a South High teacher, there will be a strong university presence. The idea is to introduce the students, not just to the College of Arts and Sciences, but to all of UAA. There is going to be pretty heavy interaction between the university and the ASD, which makes the program a novel program.” 

The idea for the Civic Leadership Pathway program was conceptualized and created by the South High Principal and members of the College of Arts and Sciences. Once the conversation began, the Philosophy and History Departments were pulled into the discussion. Philosophy Department Chair Dr. Joel Potter reflected on the conception and creation of the new Civic Leadership Pathway, stating that “South High was developing their curriculum; they wanted a place for philosophy even before we had started talking to them. They saw the value of having students explore the sorts of questions you do in a philosophy class as part of their civic engagement.” 

The content of both the History course and the Philosophy course was co-created by the SAHS teachers and members of the CAS faculty. According to Philosophy Department Adjunct Professor Gunner Deery, when the course was first being developed, he shared “course material, past assignments, and the syllabus. We met with the instructor that is going to be teaching for the high school a couple of times to talk about the sorts of things that they had in mind and the things we had in mind. It's been a very collaborative effort.”  

Professor Deery expounded on the excitement of the College of Arts and Sciences, the History and Philosophy Departments, and the teachers at SAHS. Professor Deery also talked about the benefits of the program to the students and to the community, stating:

“One of the benefits is that we are going to be building a bridge between the high school and the university, so the students will become aware of the university as a resource to their community and to them. In some cases, it’s not totally clear what the value of college is for students. I think it's really beneficial for educating local community members on what the University of Alaska Anchorage has to offer. Additionally, we are excited about having these students participate in some of the co-curricular activities we do on campus, so that they can experience philosophy and civic engagement outside the classroom. We are looking for other opportunities to connect students with UAA.” 

The Civic Leadership Pathway starts Fall 2022 semester at South Anchorage High School with 60 students signed up for the program. Both CAS and the Anchorage School District hope to expand the program to other subject areas and schools.