Project Grant 20247041143317

THIS FOUR-YEAR PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE IN BETHEL, ALASKA, SERVING THE SOUTHWEST REGION. BETHEL IS THE HUB COMMUNITY FOR THIS AREA, PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES INCLUDING HIGHER EDUCATION. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS (UAF) KUSKOKWIM CAMPUS (KUC) AND THE UAF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DISTRICT OFFICE (CES) ARE LOCATED IN BETHEL. SITUATED IN ALASKA'S YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DELTA, ABOUT 400 MILES WEST OF ANCHORAGE, BETHEL'S REMOTE SETTING PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES RELATED TO ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION. THE TOWN CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY AIR OR BARGE, WHICH LIMITS THE AVAILABILITY OF GOODS AND SERVICES AND INCREASES THE COST OF LIVING DUE TO LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES.THIS REGION IS NOT CONNECTED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE BY ROAD. THE COST OF LIVING IS HIGH BECAUSE GOODS MUST BE TRANSPORTED BY AIR OR SEASONALLY BY BARGE. ENERGY COSTS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE APPROXIMATELY TWICE AS EXPENSIVE IN BETHEL COMPARED TO THE U.S. AVERAGE (HEATING FUEL OIL: BETHEL $6.68/GAL VS. U.S. AVG. $3.20/GAL; GASOLINE: BETHEL $6.78/GAL VS. U.S. AVG. $3.26/GAL)1. GROCERIES ARE ALSO 2.65 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE (BETHEL $345 VS. U.S. AVG. $130 FOR ONE WEEK)1. THE HIGH COST OF LIVING, COMBINED WITH LIMITED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND LOW INCOMES, HAS LED TO A HIGH POVERTY RATE OF 33.45%2 .THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE RURAL VILLAGES WITH LARGE ALASKA NATIVE POPULATIONS. IN THE SOUTHWEST REGION, 86.4% OF THE POPULATION IDENTIFIES AS ALASKA NATIVE, ALTHOUGH ACTUAL PERCENTAGES ARE LIKELY HIGHER AS THESE STATISTICS DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS TWO OR MORE RACES2.THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF WELL-PAYING JOBS IN OUR AREA, AND MANY STUDENTS CANNOT ATTEND SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY NEED TO WORK. THIS PILOT PROJECT AIMS TO TEST THE CONCEPT OF OFFERING A PAID POSITION WITH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING ALONG WITH A SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDENTS. THIS APPROACH WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A SALARY TO PAY HOUSEHOLD BILLS, VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE TO INCLUDE ON THEIR RESUMES, AND A CERTIFICATE OR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE THAT CAN HELP THEM SECURE BETTER-PAYING JOBS AFTER GRADUATION. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO MAKE PARTICIPANTS VALUABLE HIRES FOR HIGHER-THAN-ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS.ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE RETENTION AND COMPLETION RATES FOR NATIVE STUDENTS. BY PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE, STUDENTS WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO STAY IN SCHOOL AND COMPLETE THEIR PROGRAMS. THE STRUCTURED SUPPORT SYSTEM IS PROJECTED TO ALLEVIATE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN AND PROVIDE A CLEAR PATHWAY TO EMPLOYMENT, THUS ADDRESSING TWO MAJOR BARRIERS TO EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. THE COMBINATION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE, AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE A MORE CONDUCIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO HIGHER GRADUATION RATES AND BETTER JOB PROSPECTS FOR NATIVE STUDENTS.