Cama’i! Chugachmiut’s Higher Education Scholarship application deadline is approaching. Download the Applications for Services application below and fill out the “Higher Education Scholarship” section. Then email it to 477applications@chugachmiut.org. The application deadline for the spring 2025 semester is December 31.
Application for Services – This application includes:
• Child Care
• General Assistance
• Vocational Tuition Assistance
• Higher Education Scholarships
Chugachmiut is pleased to announce that Jason Williams, Director of Information Technology and Corporate Security, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Native Nations Communications Task Force. This Task Force is dedicated to fulfilling the FCC’s commitment to increasing access to broadband and other communications infrastructure deployment and services on tribal lands.
Mr. Williams brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing Native Nations. His appointment underscores our ongoing efforts to ensure all communities have the connectivity they need to thrive in the digital age.
We congratulate Mr. Williams on this significant appointment as he embarks on this crucial mission to enhance broadband access and communications services for tribal lands.
Please send any comments or suggestions regarding broadband in your community to Jason Williams at jasonw@chugachmiut.org.
Cama’i! Quyanaa and AwA’ahdah to all the talented artists who dedicated their time and creativity to this year’s 2024 Christmas Card Design Contest! We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s competition.
Grand Prize Winner: Valentina Eluska from Nanwalek! Valentina will receive a $200 cash prize, and her beautiful design will be featured on our official 2024 Christmas card.
Runners-up: Carmella Tanape from Tatitlek and Melonie Kashevarof from Chenega! In recognition of their amazing entries, both will receive a $50 cash prize.
Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity with us!
We are hosting our annual Christmas Card Design Contest with a chance to win one of three prizes! The grand prize winner will be featured on our 2024 Christmas card and will also receive a cash prize of $200. Additionally, there will be two – runners-up who will receive a cash prize of $50 and acknowledgment in Chugachmiut media outlets. Submissions must tie in the 50th anniversary theme: Self Determination at its best: 50 years of Service to the Chugach Region; Building The Next Generation.
Artwork must be submitted digitally and include an artwork release form. Submit artwork to media@chugachmiut.org by Friday, November 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (AKST).
The contest is open to everyone of all ages. Once submitted, Chugachmiut assumes all rights to the artwork, including the right to sell, destroy, and/or reuse it.
Christmas Card Contest Rules
Download the artwork release form below.
November 20, 2024
Contact: media@chugachmiut.org, 907-334-0160
Anchorage, AK – Since its 2023 release, Chugachmiut’s game Nunaka: My Village – Where Language Comes to Play has won four educational video game awards and received two additional nominations. This 3D learning app engages children in the Sugpiaq culture and Sugt’stun language of Alaska’s Chugach region. It serves as an early childhood introduction to cultural heritage while supporting essential school readiness goals for Chugachmiut’s federally funded Head Start program.
In recent competitions, Nunaka was honored with the following:
In addition, Nunaka received two notable nominations, including the 2024 Kidscreen Awards, Best Learning App – Original, Finalist, and 2024 Games 4 Change, Diverse Voices – New Stories Contest, Nominee.
Chugachmiut incorporated Nunaka into its Head Start centers in Nanwalek and Port Graham, where most of the children are of Sugpiaq heritage. The game is a supplemental tool, engaging children through interactive adventures that promote enthusiasm for their community, the Sugt’stun language, and Sugpiaq cultural values. It features culturally relevant games such as berry picking, sea creature identification, and qayaq riding, designed to improve fine motor skills and cognitive development.
To ensure cultural and linguistic authenticity, FableVision collaborated with the Nanwalek IRA Council and Port Graham Village Council in 2022. Elders provided voice recordings for scripts, and young Sugt’stun speakers tested the game for Chugachmiut’s Head Start program. Their voices are included in the final product.
“We are grateful for the invaluable input from Elders and Sugt’stun language bearers in developing this culturally relevant learning platform for the Chugach region,” says Angela ‘Jan’ Vanderpool, Executive Director of Chugachmiut. “With Nunaka, children can connect to their culture, language, and environment while achieving key school readiness goals.”
“There were a lot of intricacies of working with Sugt’stun. This language has been passed down via oral tradition rather than as a written language, and there is an extremely small number of master speakers remaining, many of whom have lost some of their knowledge of the language over time,” said Anne Richards, VP of FableVision’s audio division.
Explore Nunaka’s vibrant visuals and activities in the trailer and introductory video. Nunaka: My Village is free to download from the Apple and Google Play app stores. The app was made possible with generous support from the U.S. Department of Education.
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About Chugachmiut
Chugachmiut is a 501(c)3 non-profit established in 1974 to serve and promote the self-governance of the seven Native tribes of the Chugach Region of Alaska. Chugachmiut offers a range of services to its seven constituent tribal communities, including primary care, dentistry, behavioral health, addictions counseling, trust and land management, heritage preservation, and wildland firefighting. Learn more at www.chugachmiut.org.
Download a PDF of this release.
Download a Nunaka fact sheet.
Learn more about Nunaka.
Help shape the future of education! Please take our short survey about education and schools. This survey will take about 5 to 8 minutes and will give us valuable feedback on how to support learning. Your responses will help guide the creation of new education programs and services.
Chugachmiut is excited to offer a unique funding opportunity for teachers to support innovative, student-centered projects during the 2024-2025 academic year. We are inviting teachers to submit proposals using our online form for projects that provide unique experiences to Native students in grades K-12 who live in the Chugachmiut communities of Nanwalek, Port Graham, Seward, Tatitlek, Chenega, Valdez, and Cordova.
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until 5:00 PM on April 30, 2025. We encourage bold and creative submissions.
Project Information
This grant provides students with opportunities to learn in a wide range of environments. Teachers, schools, community leaders, and other education providers can submit proposals. Project proposals must request at least $5,000, with no ceiling on the reasonable amount that can be requested (a maximum of $5000 per Native student).
Applicants are encouraged to think creatively in bringing a wide range of educational experiences to Alaska Native children. Please see examples of proposed projects at the end of this form.
Funding will be awarded to proposals that meet the criteria of the grant.
Project Timeline
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through our online form until 5:00 PM, April 30, 2025. If funded, projects should be implemented within the 2024-2025 academic year, with all activities completed by no later than July 30, 2025. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within two weeks of their proposal submission.
Submission Details
Please complete the Project Proposal Form HERE. If assistance is required, please contact either of the Key Contacts to receive technical assistance.
Responsibilities for funded projects
Teachers and/or schools receiving funding will be responsible for clearly outlining their project activities and demonstrating a reasonable budget plan in their proposals. Each proposal must indicate the number of Native students who will be impacted by this project. Project staff and volunteers will require a federal background check with Chugachmiut, and basic demographic data and Tribal enrollment will be required from the student participants.
Regular progress updates will also be required throughout the project timeline.
Proposal Timeline
| RFP Distributed | October 4, 2024 |
| Proposals due to Chugachmiut | Accepted on a rolling basis |
| Evaluation of Proposals | Evaluated on a rolling basis |
Evaluation Criteria
Chugachmiut will evaluate proposals on the following criteria:
| a) | Clear and reasonable budget plan | 35 |
| b) | Clear and reasonable project activities | 35 |
| c) | Level of community involvement (Elders, families, parents, etc.) | 15 |
| d) | Strategies to engage and involve students in the project | 15 |
Key Contacts
Following are key contacts for information you may seek in preparing your proposal:
| Paul McDonogh Department of Education Director paul@chugachmiut.org (907) 562-4155 | Haley Hakala Burnett Department of Education Manager haleyhakala@chugachmiut.org (907) 334-0172 |
Organization Information
Chugachmiut
1840 Bragaw Street, Suite 110
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Contact:
Haley Hakala Burnett
haleyhakala@chugachmiut.org
(907) 334-0172
Project: Funding for Creative Learning Projects and Activities
Proposal Accepted on a Rolling Basis Until: 5:00 PM, April 30, 2025
Background of Chugachmiut
Chugachmiut is an Alaska Native Tribal consortium providing healthcare, social services, and education & training to the Chugach region. The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Chugachmiut as a charitable, tax-exempt organization pursuant to section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We serve the Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay areas comprised of the following tribes: Qutekcak (Seward), Nanwalek, Port Graham, Tatitlek, Eyak (Cordova), Valdez, and Chenega. Chugachmiut was founded in 1974 with a defined mission to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach region, adopted in May 1994.
For more information, please visit our website at www.chugachmiut.org.
The Chugachmiut Tribal Education Department (CTED) is a new addition to the Chugachmiut community that is expanding with educational services activities through federal grant administration. The CTED incorporates the Chugachmiut Heritage Programs, which have a twenty-year history of documenting, recording, and teaching about the histories of our region’s Sugpiaq and Eyak communities. We partner with four school districts and provide educational services that improve whole learning.
For more information on the CTED, please visit www.chugachheritageak.org.
Join us on Wednesdays at 11 am for our Recovery Group at the Qutekcak Native Tribe in Seward. Open to all adults, with confidentiality assured. Contact Giovanna Atkins, LMSW, at Giovanna@Chugachmiut.org or (907) 224-4914 with any questions.
Cama’i! Join us for our virtual Laugh & Learn on Wednesday, August 14, at 2 p.m. Jim Miller will present on Using Alaska Native Ancestral Ways for Healing from Trauma and Addiction. Don’t miss out—join us on Zoom for this inspiring session! Contact Barbara Siefert at BarbaraS@Chugachmiut.org ahead of time for the Zoom link. Quyanaa/AwA’ahdah!
UPDATE: We’re excited to announce the winners of the VPSO Patch Design Call for Art!
A huge congratulations to:
We were very impressed by the creativity and thoughtfulness each artist put into their submissions, beautifully capturing Sugpiaq heritage and the Chugach region. Quyanaa & AwA’ahdah to everyone who entered and shared their incredible artwork with us!
The final VPSO patch design will be revealed later, so stay tuned for updates!
Chugachmiut is seeking art submissions for a patch design to be worn on the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) uniform. We invite artists from our region to submit their color artwork, whether drawing or digital, for consideration. Selected art will be used to create a unique patch symbolic of the Sugpiaq heritage and Chugach region.
Submission Guidelines:
Selection Process:
We may work with the selected artist to make necessary edits that align with the purpose. If none of the submissions meet our needs, we may collaborate with a regional artist to design the patch identified through this process. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Angela Gonzalez, Communications Manager, at (907) 562-4155, (800) 478-4155 (toll-free), or media@chugachmuit.org.
*Chugachmiut is an Alaska Native 501(c)3 non-profit agency incorporated in 1974 to serve the seven Native tribes in the Chugach Region, including the communities of Chenega, Eyak, Nanwalek, Port Graham, Qutekcak, Tatitlek, and Valdez.
We look forward to seeing your creative submissions!
Chugachmiut requests qualifications for an External Evaluator for an Education Innovation & Research Early Phase Grant to serve as an external evaluator to the Chugach Identity Project, a social-emotional learning intervention to regional high schools to improve learning factors related to identity, belonging, and place hood.
Budget: Up to $80K annually for five years or up to $400K
Deadline: Monday, July 15, 2024, at 5 PM AKST
KEY CONTACTS
Please email complete proposals to paul@chugachmiut.org and andrewg@chugachmiut.org. Do not hesitate to contact either Key Contact if assistance is required.
Download the External Evaluator RFQ below:
Heritage Preservation
Our vision is to revitalize the traditional Chugach Native culture and language. The goal is to make Sugpiaq/ Eyak history and heritage a part of the regular school curriculum with support and direction from our Elders’ traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).
Heritage Preservation
1840 Bragaw Street, Suite 110
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-3463
907-562-4155 – Phone
800-478-4155 – Toll Free
907-563-2891 – Fax
800-793-2891 – Toll Free Fax
844-891-0444 – Behavioral Health Crisis Line
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