2024 Annual Report

2024 First-Year Academy: Alaska

907.712.7540 geoforce@alaska.edu

P.O. Box 755490 Fairbanks, AK 99775

The GeoFORCE Alaska mission is to: • Raise high school graduation rates in rural Alaska.

• Encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors in college.

• Increase the number and diversity of Alaska residents entering the technical workforce.

GeoFORCE Classroom: Matanuska Glacier

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Cover, inside photos: Leif Van Cise, GeoFORCE Alaska. Captioned photos courtesy GeoFORCE Alaska.

GeoFORCE Alaska Annual Report 2024 Mission

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Contents

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Welcome

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2024 Staff

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Mentors

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What?

7 Why? 8 Who?

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Objectives 11-12 Where?

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2024 Highlights

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Looking to 2025

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Financial Report

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Thanks to Our Sponsors

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from the director

Sarah Fowell, Ph.D., Professor, UAF Department of Geosciences Every four years I have the opportunity to welcome a new group of ambitious rural students to the GeoFORCE Alaska program and lead them through the First-Year Academy. Meeting the members of the fourth cohort was especially exciting, because this is our largest cohort to date. In June, 2024, 35 students from communities throughout the North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Interior, Bristol Bay, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta regions arrived at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to begin their GeoFORCE experience. The program is fun, but it is also academically challenging. I hoped they would enjoy it.

We began with several days in Fairbanks, spending time in the classroom to learn new concepts, practicing rock identification in the lab, and visiting sites of local geological interest, such as the Alaska Pipeline, Fort Knox Mine, and the Chena River. The first day was characteristically quiet, but two days later students were working in teams to make observations and conduct glacier flow experiments. I was impressed by the students’ focus in the classroom and appreciation of the outdoors. It was rewarding to watch them apply what they had learned in a few short days on campus as we visited field sites in Healy and Denali National Park. They seemed enthusiastic.

At the conclusion of the Academy, the students filled out an anonymous feedback forms. We received many very positive responses, such as, “I really enjoyed Suntrana creek/canyon because the activities there were fun but also applied geology” and “My favorite activities were the rock games we played at the university like evolution and rockity rock cause they were really creative and fun”. However, the real measure of students’ enthusiasm for the program is the retention rate: Will they choose to return? In November I was delighted to learn that 33 out of 35 students (94%) have stated their intent to participate in the 2025 Second-Year Academy. I look forward to traveling to the southwestern United States with them to study sedimentary rocks at iconic geological locations, including Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks. I am deeply grateful to sponsors and donors who make the GeoFORCE experience possible for our students, and to the teachers and families who encourage them. We couldn’t do it without you!

— Dr. Sarah Fowell 3

from the program coordinator Justine Schmidt

Stepping into this role in the summer of 2023, I knew that I would spend most of the year looking forward to meeting all our students and exploring the world with them. And boy was that true. I had a great time walking on a glacier, hiking in Denali, jumping on sand dunes, and touring a real live gold mine. It was so rewarding to see the excitement on everyone’s face as we went to places and did activities that I had been planning for months.

I have lived in Alaska for a while now, though, and as great as these places are to visit, the best part, for me, was meeting and getting to know all the truly excellent students who participated in GeoFORCE Alaska for the first time this past summer. I had talked with all of you, and many family members, teachers, coaches, principals, and guidance counselors, during the winter and spring but you still all managed to surprise me with your kindness, curiousity, bravery, maturity, and bountiful playfulness. 36 thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen year-olds is a daunting prospect, even to a hardened high-schooler aged program provider. Yet you all made it fun. You helped each other through bouts of homesickness, made friends with people from the opposite end of the state, leapt right into college level geology content, powered through sore feet and tired brains, and most importantly put up with my shenanigans and let me join in on yours.

And now we are already looking forward to next summer’s academy in the desert Southwest! It might be hotter than any of us would prefer, but I know it will be just as wonderful of a trip. I feel so honored that you all trusted us to come on this trip (or let your children come on this trip) and I cannot wait to see you next summer!

— Justine Schmidt 4

2024 staff Staff members undergo training through the University of Alaska Fairbanks and have experience relevant to their roles. Day counselors and the support driver are graduate or undergraduate students who have the background necessary to help students apply concepts and identify features in the field. Education Coach Jessica Horowitz is a elementary school teacher with a masters in Geoscience and a background working in the mining industry. Night Counselors remain on call after hours for participants who need supplies or assistance after lights out.

Education Coach Jessica Horwitz

Support Driver Kristina Head

Counselors Ada Causey, Emmy Reese, Richard Parsons, and Rina Basaliso

Night Counselors Yesim Goyette and Sarah Finney

Counselors Roberta Miller, Ryan Oeste, Stephan Knudson, and Xochitl Muñoz

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mentors Mentors add a valuable dimension to the GeoFORCE program, providing real-life examples of geoscience professionals and offering students another caring adult to talk to and learn from.

This year we were fortunate to have three mentors join us: Sam Huisman, ConocoPhillips, participated during our on-the road portion of the trip; Lance Miller, NANA, met us for the tour of the Matanuska Glacier and Jaenell Manchester, Doyon, joined us for the entirity of the First-Year Academy.

Mentor applications are available each spring. We invite employees of our corporate sponsors to experience the GeoFORCE program first-hand as a mentor.

Jaenell Manchester with the Doyon region students

Sam Huisman discussing the Kincaid Dunes with students

Lance Miller with NANA region students on the Matanuska Glacier

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What is GeoFORCE Alaska?

GeoFORCE Alaska is a four-year, field-based summer geoscience program for high school students from rural Alaska communities. Each summer, students spend a few days on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus learning geoscience concepts. They then embark upon a hands-on learning adventure that illustrates those concepts.

Applicants must have competitive grades in math and science, submit essays, and be recommended by a teacher or counselor.

To remain in the program, students must complete field-based projects and earn a score of at least 70% on the annual final exam.

Team projects allow students to practice the scientific method while visiting spectacular geological locations around the country.

GeoFORCE Classroom: Dry Creek

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Why GeoFORCE Alaska?

Participants must keep their grades up to continue with the program.

They graduate high school at a higher rate than their peers statewide.

GeoFORCE Classroom: Chena River

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Who is GeoFORCE Alaska?

GeoFORCE Alaska students are from Interior, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and Bristol Bay communites. Data below if for summer 2024. 32 of the 35 participants completed the voluntary, anonymous survey.

Region

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Gender

The fourth cohort at Matanuska Glacier in June 2024.

Ethnicity

Wainwright

Utqiagvik Atqasuk

Nuiqsut

Kaktovik

Kivalina Kotzebue

Noorvik Shungnak

Hughes Huslia Deering Galena Tanana Nulato Ruby Selawik

Alakanuk Kasigluk Quinhagak

Aleknagik

Communities represented in 2024.

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First-Year Academy

objectives:

• Learn the rock cycle and identifiy the three types of rocks

• Understand weathering and erosion and their importance in the rock cycle

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• Learn to use hand lens and scientific observation skills in the field

• Identify evidence of past weathering and erosion

• Identify different types of rivers and glaciers

• Learn study techniques and maintain academic rigor • Understand the role of plate tectonics in mountain formation

• Make new friends and explore Alaska

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Where did GeoFORCE Alaska go in 2024?

1. Chena River, Alaska Pipeline and UAF 2. Kinross Fort Knox Gold Mine 3. Savage River, Denali National Park 4. Suntrana Canyon 5. Matanuska Glacier 6. Kincaid Sand Dunes 7. Portage Glacier Visitor Center

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Geared up for a mine tour

In the classroom at UAF

Playing Rock Cycle games at UAF

Looking at the Matanuska Glacier

Touring the UA Museum of the North

Floating down the Chena River in Fairbanks Studying terms in Denali’s Murie Science and Learning Center

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Exploring the Kincaid Sand Dunes in Anchorage

Touring Fort Knox Gold Mine

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Facepainting with glacial mud Seeing layers in Suntrana Canyon

Learning about glaciers outside Portage Glacier Visitor Center

Hiking in Denali National Park

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Looking forward to Summer 2025 Second-Year Acadmey in the Desert Southwest Goals of the Second-Year Academy

• Identify limestone and explain how it forms • Illustrate the relationship between dunes and cross-beds • Reconstruct ancient environments based on rocks and fossils • Find evidence that water and wind can erode rock and explain how this is possible • Define mass wasting and recognize examples • Identify an unconformity and diagram its formation • Compare and contrast Native dwellings in Alaska and Arizona

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

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Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Dinosaur Discovery, Utah

Zion National Park, Utah

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Financial reports

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P l at i n u m L e v e l $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 +

Gold Level $10,000-$24,999

S i lv e r L e v e l $ 5 , 0 0 0 - $ 9 , 9 9 9

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many thanks to our

Sponsors

We deeply appreciate our sponsors, whose generosity and sustained commitment allows us to offer the GeoFORCE Alaska experience to students at no cost to their families.

We have a great team behind our mission to inspire the next generation of geoscientists.

If you are interested in making a corporate donation or would like to learn about other ways to get involved, please contact us at 907-712-7540 or geoforce@alaska.edu.

Enaa Baasee’! Taikuu!

Ana baasee’! Quyanaq!

Thank you! Mahsi Choo!

Your support makes GeoFORCE Alaska learning adventures possible for young Alaskans.

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GeoFORCE Alaska

College of Natural Science and Mathematics University of Alaska Fairbanks PO Box 755940, Fairbanks, AK 99775 geoforce@alaska.edu 907-712-7540 UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination/.

UAFStudents is an AA/EO employer and educational Northwest institution. Arctic Students North Slope

Interior Students Visit our website! www.geoforce.alaska.edu

Southwest Students Like us on Facebook! @GeoFORCE Alaska