Everything starts with childhood
education. It's the foundation upon which a strong community is built.
My name is Amy Graham, and I am an aspiring first-year educator who
recently graduated and earned my degree in teaching from the University of
River Falls, Wisconsin. For as far back as I can remember, learning and
education have always been an important part of my life, and are the driving force
behind my passion to impact the lives of those who do not have the means to do
so themselves.
On June 16th I was offered a position as a lower elementary school-teacher in the bush village of Nulato, Alaska, which is located in the mid-western interior section of Alaska.
My education mission is to motivate and inspire my
students, colleagues and peers to actively seek out all contexts in
problem solving while maintaining harmony and connecting with
each other. It is my hope for us all to adapt and grow
to overcome the challenges in our immediate lives and throughout the global
community.
The village consists of the Athabascan native peoples, who are
directly related to their Navajo counterparts located in the southwest states
of the lower 48. No other Alaskan native groups have such a unique
connection, which places the Athabascans at an earlier time of crossing the
Bering Strait than the other native groups.
About 300 people live off
the land hunting and gathering true organic and free range food.
The hardships of most of these bush fly-in villages is not so
much about the extreme cold temperatures, but also the poverty that the
villagers survive in. The area is vast. There are no roads, and the isolation is
extremely heavy. Most leave because they feel they cannot make
connections, have the luxuries they want, or meet the people they want to be
around. Connecting with the villagers is difficult for most.
The academic achievements of the students in Nulato are below
average compared to the lower 48 states in America.
But in the words of the great Dr. Shin'ichi Suzuki, I
too believe that
“...all children can be educated”
I believe I was chosen to work with these people due to
the fact that I can make strong connections with my students, and the parents
of this mini-community.
Housing during the school year will be covered by myself, and the high moving costs include
flight and transportation that have made it incredibly difficult for me to finance
the trip.
I cannot take the time to travel by boat to Nulato. I will have to fly and ship my supplies. The most difficult part about taking this
position, is that after I spend what little finances I have on buying plane
tickets, and shipping supplies and goods for the bush to my new home, is that I
will have to wait for one month before my first paycheck from school rolls
in.
Finding more funds to use for food and survival during
this month will be necessary for me to survive in the bush during my first days
of training.
Everything Helps!
Thank you so much for taking the time to look at this. Even the
smallest donations are greatly appreciated, and for those who can’t afford to
donate, sharing or promoting this page would mean just as much!
If you aren’t able to help financially, I would truly appreciate
your help in passing this campaign on to people you know. Use the awesome
Indiegogo share tools or just forward the link to your friends (http://igg.me/at/teach-alaska).
Together we can make a difference in children’s lives!