Anvil City Science AcademyAnvil City Science Academy students have been collaborating with science researchers and the Norton Sound Economic Development Commission to revitalize the salmon population in a creek behind their school. This project involves collecting salmon and eggs, cleaning up ponds overrun with algae, restoring creek banks by planting willows and sinking recycled Christmas trees to the bottom of ponds as shelter for salmon fry. The goal is to make it a sustainable subsistence area once again.
Anvil City Science AcademyDaniel Head will represent the students at the annual Spirit of Youth awards banquet on March 21 at the Hilton Anchorage. Tickets to the event are available online at spiritofyouth.org.

Alaska Teen Media Institute reporter Kelsey Hernandez, 14, brings a report on a new program for teens from Planned Parenthood and Leadership Anchorage, which will enable youth to become peer advocates and leaders on sex education.

Youth in the Know

The Youth in the Know group will actually have their first meeting on March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

Alaska Teen Media Institute reporters Nithya Thiru and Nikki Navio recently interviewed Polaris K-12 students about who they look up to.

HEROS

On March 21, Spirit of Youth will honor 22 award winners from across Alaska with an annual banquet at the Hilton Anchorage.

The winners this year will come into town from 12 Alaska communities and are all hardworking, inspiring teens.

Tickets to the banquet are available online at the Spirit of Youth Web site.

2009 WINNERS
Fine Arts
Thorne Bay School Band (Thorne Bay)
Stephanie Alley (Ketchikan)

Faith-based
Victoria Bledsoe (Eagle River)
Julie Beehler (Kodiak)

Victoria BledsoeAfter hearing about the need for an improved library in Eagle River, Victoria Bledsoe, 16, rose to the challenge and organized a city-wide potato feed through her church. At Holy Spirit Episcopal, she gathered over 20 volunteers to wash potatoes, set tables and advertise the event. Victoria gained the support of the Rasmuson Foundation, which matched three dollars to every dollar raised.

Victoria Bledsoe

Kids Kitchen: Jacqueline Yang collected over 1,000 cans and boxes of food for Kids Kitchen at Fairview Recreation Center.
Chugiak High School junior, Jacqueline Yang, turned a class project into something more. Yang wanted to reach out into the community so she planned and coordinated a canned food drive for Kid's Kitchen called "Can the Principle." She collected over 1,000 cans from boxes placed around her school. Yang comes from a big family and says a lot of the kids were shy about accepting food from Kid's Kitchen but she knows how they feel and was able to connect with them. Yang is now working on a fundraiser to purchase cabinets for the kitchen, since a lot of the old ones had to be taken out because of age.

Photo courtesy of Eric Hamar: Hamar and friend discuss the raven-finned killer whale grave post.Eric Hamar, of Kasaan, Alaska, uses his artistic talents to share his Haida heritage. Hamar's work is available on his Web site. Shana Sheehy interviewed Hamar and produced this audio story.

ERIC HAMAR

Anna Kurilchenko, 17, is a very active member of her church in Delta Junction. She teaches Sunday school, sings in the choir and raises money for teen mission trips. She seems like a typical hard-working teen but speaking in front of a group of kids doesn't come as easy to Anna as it does to most. At the age of 6, she underwent an inner-ear surgery that left her with a speech impediment.

Anna Kurilchenko

Photo courtesy of Cody Vetter
Like many people in Palmer, Cody Vetter noticed a tension building between the Palmer business community and local skateboarders. Business owners were frustrated with skaters who destroyed flower boxes and sidewalks, as there weren't many places to skateboard around town.

Recognizing the need for a Palmer skate park, Vetter took the idea to Mayor John Combs and started the Palmer Skateboard Association. He gathered signatures and with the Mayor's support, spoke to local businesses, foundations and labor unions, who agreed to donate $400,000 in labor and funding.

Photo for the Daily News Miner: BJ Gore worked with two Native elders to build a moose skin boat.

In an effort to learn about his Native culture, BJ Gore helped make a moose skin boat with two Native elders. His effort to learn this skill, which was for lost for 60 years, brought the Cantwell community together.

BJ was nominated for a Spirit of Youth Award in the Cultural Pursuits Category. His nominator said,"His project provided pride in local Native culture and its history."

Photo courtesy of the Youth Action Committee: Youth Action Committee members Haley Nelson, Kimberley Burke, Paula Zheng, Nick Parker and Miguel Rohrbacher.

The Youth Action Committee (YAC), a group of teens from Juneau-Douglas High School, are making a difference in the lives of their peers by identifying the needs of Juneau teens and writing grants to benefit programs that meet those needs.

The group of about 12 youth target teen issues such as drugs, alcohol and sex education. A new top priority is the growing rate of homeless teens. With the grants they received from the Douglas-Dornan foundation they granted Cornerstone Emergency Shelter with $5,000 to give shelter to homeless and runaway youth and $3,870 to SAGA for their Serve Alaska Youth Corps.

Teens who care about the environment and want to be leaders in their community are invited to AYEA's Civics Summit March 15 to 19 in Juneau, Alaska.

The Civics and Conservation Summit is a statewide civic engagement training sponsored by AYEA (Alaska Youth for Environmental Action). During the training, 25 teens from all over Alaska will come together to learn how to impact decisions affecting our communities and environment. It's a high-impact, fun, inspiring training that has been called a "life-changing experience" by past participants.

Karen Zeman, SOY Executive Director, was recently interviewed on a half-hour radio broadcast called “Meet the People” on KSDP in Sandpoint, Alaska.

Spirit of Youth interview

She spoke about the Spirit of Youth positive media campaign, how teens are portrayed in the media, the upcoming Spirit of Youth banquet, the Alaska Teen Media Institute and more.

Photo by Tiana Johnson

Trey Josey will be hosting a writers circle for middle and high school age writers every Tuesday and Thursday at Fairview Recreation Center(1121 E. 10th Ave.)

The writers circle will be starting this Thursday night, Jan. 15 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and is free to all middle and high school age youth.

For more information e-mail diff3r3ntbyd3sign@yahoo.com.

AWAIC offers a variety of services including shelter for abused women and a 24-hour crisis line.The Alaska Teen Media Institute's Kelsey Hernandez, 14, sat down with staff from AWAIC, Abused Women's Aid in Crisis, located in downtown Anchorage. She produced this audio story about the organization.

AWAIC

If you know of a teen or group of teens doing positive things in your Alaska community, please nominate them for an award at the Spirit of Youth Web site. Deadline is the end of the year.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 9!

The Spirit of Youth and the Alaska Teen Media Institute are inviting you to come check out their offices and get to know more about their programs.

All community members are invited to attend, especially those teens interested in joining the Spirit of Youth Teen Action Council or becoming an Alaska Teen Media reporter.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the SOY/ATMI headquarters in Anchorage at 203 W. 15th Ave. Suite 105.

Vincent GregoryVincent Gregory, 19, won third place in a regional wrestling match last season and an invitation to compete at State. This was great news for the teen from the village of Kalskag in Southeast Alaska. But the same day he found out he lost his mother to an alcohol related incident.

Shana Sheehy interviewed Gregory about how he has persevered in this Spirit of Youth audio story.

VINCENT GREGORY

Make-a-Scene in Wasilla, Alaska offers a place for local musicians to enhance their skills and play their music.Alaska Teen Media Institute reporter, Tiana Johnson stopped by Make-a-Scene in Wasilla on Nov. 22. Josh and Briony Fryfogle have been building a little music empire out there. They have a venue, a magazine and offer music lessons as well. Johnson put together a slide show about their projects.

Ken JonesKen Jones, 17, is the youngest captain in the Cordova salmon seining fleet. A lifetime of saving money from fishing with his family and Permanent Fund Dividend checks, Jones had the cash to start his own business. His first season out, Jones hired a crew of three other teens.Sam-An-I CrewShana Sheehy interviewed Jones, who was nominated for a Spirit of Youth award, about his fishing business.

CAPTAIN KEN JONES