The sealaska heritage institute's community project supports the development of alaska marine science units that will be available for middle school teachers at 14 school districts for 700 students…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $500,000 to Sealaska Heritage Institute, Inc. on October 1, 2026, under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to develop Alaska Marine Science Units for middle school students in Southeast Alaska.

The project delivers marine science and technology education to approximately 700 students in grades 6–8 across 14 coastal school districts in Southeast Alaska. Sealaska Heritage Institute will develop and implement place-based learning curricula and provide professional development and curricular support to middle school teachers, enabling schools to offer hands-on marine science instruction focused on marine workforce career pathways. The work emphasizes collaborative regional partnerships and aims to expand school-based opportunities for student engagement in marine science and technology.

The performance period runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with work performed in Juneau, Alaska. Sealaska Heritage Institute is a nonprofit tribal organization based in Juneau, dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. The institute is a subsidiary of Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation.

The sealaska heritage institute's community project supports the development of alaska marine science units that will be available for middle school teachers at 14 school districts for 700 students (grades 6-8), living in 14 coastal communities in southeast alaska. This project will develop and implement marine science and technology education that utilizes place-based learning and collaborative regional partnerships. The goal is to promote marine science that leads to marine workforce opportunities in southeast alaska. The approach for the one-year project is providing professional development and curricular support for southeast alaska middle school teachers resulting in the delivery of educational content and programming that increases school-based opportunities for southeast alaska students, grades 6-8, to engage in hands-on learning focused on marine science, technology, and related marine workforce careers.