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 Faced
with a foreign culture, harsh winters, and in some cases a lack of basic
necessities, many Lower 48 teachers who accept jobs in rural Alaska
don't make it more than a year.
That's
why the state needs to attract Native students to careers in education,
says Rhonda Hickok, manager of the federally funded Preparing Indigenous
Teachers for Alaska Schools program at the University of Alaska Southeast.
Hickok, 37, a former Juneau-Douglas High School history teacher, has headed
the PITAS program since July of 2001.
Hickok,
who grew up in Valdez and Glennallen, decided in high school to become
a teacher. After moving to Juneau in the mid-'80s, she said she came to
realize the value of Native programs in education.
"There
is much improvement needed in Native education and I want to be a part
of that," Hickok said.
PITAS
is a federally funded program that prepares Natives in Southeast and the
Lower Kuskokwim School District to become teachers.
The
program aims to curb the high turnover of teachers in rural areas, Hickok
said, noting that in some villages the entire faculty changes every year.
"You
really have to want to be there, and those who really want to be there
are those who live there, those who are accustomed to the land and feel
very much at home there," she said.
She
also noted the cultural disconnection between Native students and teachers
from outside of Alaska.
"If
you are taught and you are schooled in mainstream society, you are only
getting part of the picture," she said, noting that many rural Native
students operate at a different pace and have different learning styles
than urban students.
Prior
to heading the program, Hickok worked with PITAS as a mentor to students
at Juneau-Douglas High School.
Participating
teachers and aides are given a small stipend for spending time outside
the classroom with Native students, preparing them with the skills needed
to get a college degree in education.
Sixteen
teachers in the Lower Kuskokwim and Southeast are mentoring. Three are
in Juneau - two at JDHS and one at Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School.
PITAS
is in its third year of operation under a grant from the U.S. Department
of Education.
Drawing
from her experiences as a mentor and borrowing ideas from similar programs
around the country, Hickok formulated a curriculum for PITAS students.
Students
participate in online courses, conduct interviews with faculty, and participate
in a summer institute at UAS.
Those
who continue with PITAS through college are awarded scholarships that
include tuition, books and lodging. Hickok said 36 UAS students have PITAS
scholarships.
Paula
Dybdahl, a JDHS history teacher and PITAS mentor, directed the UAS Summer
Institute last year under Hickok's supervision. Students live on campus
for two weeks and attend classes.
"It's
almost like an immersion into university life," Dybdahl said.
Dybdahl
said Hickok is involved with students on an individual level.
"She
reviews students' assignments at the high school level and tries to maintain
contact with students at all levels," Dybdahl said, calling Hickok
a role model for the students and herself. "I think the kids at both
levels are so lucky to have her as their cheerleader because she gives
110 percent."
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