Support for local teachers at UAF

Educators and administrators from around the state gathered at the BP Design Theater to discuss how to recruit and retain more local teachers.
Educators and administrators from around the state gathered at the BP Design Theater to discuss how to recruit and retain more local teachers.

March 11, 2026

If you were on the Troth Yeddha’ campus in late February and early March, you may have encountered Grow Our Own teacher events hosted by the UAF School of Education and the UA K-12 Outreach Office.

To start off the week of Grow Our Own events, a cohort of Alaska Indigenous Teacher Network students and alumni traveled to to Fairbanks for the third "Fairbanks Fly-In" on Feb 26-28. The group consisted of current UAF School of Education students from rural communities and Indigenous teachers who graduated from UAF. The rural students explored the campus, met peers in their programs, visited local schools, attended the Festival of Native Arts and participated in workshops led by the Alaska Indigenous Teacher Network alumni.

Yal’aq Adele Hagevig, teacher at the Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy program in Juneau and UAF School of Education graduate offers a workshop at the Fairbanks Fly-In on Tlingit counting.
Yal’aq Adele Hagevig, teacher at the Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy program in Juneau and UAF School of Education graduate offers a workshop at the Fairbanks Fly-In on Tlingit counting.

On March 1, the UAF School of Education hosted its fourth annual Grow Our Own Information Exchange. The event brought in roughly 40 educators and administrators from across the state, representing 20 different districts and organizations, to share ideas and plans on how to prioritize recruiting and retaining more local teachers. Current high school students and a group of our Alaska Indigenous Teacher Network alumni gave presentations showcasing a local commitment to teaching.

The Information Exchange participants were invited to stay on March 2 for the beginning of the Ed Rising Alaska State Leadership Conference. The UA K-12 Outreach Office hosted this year’s State Leadership Conference at UAF, bringing together over 200 high school students who expressed interest in the teaching profession or leadership. From campus tours to snowshoeing to breakout sessions on place-based teaching, the students experienced a taste of UAF collegiate life and careers in education.

The UAF School of Education and the UA K-12 Outreach Office staff are grateful to everyone on campus who provided space, resources and presentations to the K-12 education community.