ANSEP

09/03/2026

We’re hiring in Kotzebue!

ANSEP is looking for a Program Assistant to support Acceleration Academy students in Kotzebue. In this hands-on role, you will work directly with students as they earn college credits while still in high school, supporting them throughout the academic year.

Apply today and be part of a team helping create meaningful education and career pathways for Alaska students. Learn more and submit your application at https://careers.alaska.edu/jobs/ansep-acceleration-academy-program-assistant-temporary-kotzebue-kotzebue-alaska-united-states

08/31/2026

Kiera Watson (Yup’ik) is building a future in healthcare with the goal of becoming a Registered Nurse and returning home to serve her community!

Born and raised in Bethel, Kiera first joined ANSEP through Middle School Academy. She then continued her journey through the Bridge component in 2024 before joining ANSEP University Success. Today, she is pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, along with a minor in Alaska Native Languages, where she is studying Yup’ik to relearn her language.

This summer, Kiera completed her second internship with the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation. Working with Specialty, she helped coordinate field clinics from Alaska Native Medical Center, scheduled patient appointments and VTCs, answered patient calls, prepared documents, sent letters to patients, and assisted with requests from the charge nurse.

“ANSEP has helped me reach my goals by providing me with the resources and support I need to succeed in my classes and stay on track with the courses required for my degree,” said Kiera. “ANSEP has also given me opportunities and experiences that I am very thankful for. I would encourage any student who is thinking about joining ANSEP but is unsure to just go for it. ANSEP has helped me in many ways throughout college, and I am grateful for the support, opportunities, and experiences it has given me.”

Kiera’s journey reflects the value of meaningful opportunities that allow students to explore their goals, gain hands-on experience, and prepare for careers that can make a difference in their communities. Thank you to the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation for providing Kiera with another meaningful internship and the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in healthcare. Quyana! Chin'an gu nin yu! Quyanaq! Gunalchee’se! Quyanaa! Qaĝaalakux̂!

08/29/2026

Today was the first Friday meeting of the semester for our ANSEP University Success and Bridge students! It was an opportunity for students to reconnect, meet the ANSEP staff, and learn more about the support and resources available to them throughout the semester.

We were also excited to announce this year’s Jeff Trandahl Scholarship recipients during today’s meeting! Congratulations to the Jeff Trandahl Scholars, and we are excited to see all that our University Success and Bridge students accomplish this semester!

08/27/2026

ANSEP Chief Operating Officer Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff brings both personal experience and professional expertise to her work supporting the next generation of Alaska students. An ANSEP alum and the first Alaska Native with a doctorate in engineering education, Dr. Yatchmeneff understands firsthand the impact that meaningful educational opportunities can have on students and communities.

In this op-ed, Dr. Yatchmeneff reflects on what student success really means and how strong educational pathways go beyond grades, credits, and degrees. Drawing from her own experience and her first year as ANSEP COO, she highlights how ANSEP’s sequential model provides students from kindergarten through graduate education with academic preparation, hands-on learning, mentorship, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to pursue their goals.

Read the full op-ed on ADN:

ANSEP students are earning college credits, conducting research and serving their communities while redefining expectations for young Alaskans.

08/26/2026

Flora Andrews (Inupiaq and Norwegian) has been part of the ANSEP community for 14 years! Her ANSEP journey began in 2012 when she joined the Computer Build as a high school sophomore. She then completed the Summer Acceleration Academy and the Bridge component, where she did her first internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before earning an Associate of Arts in General Program in 2017.

Flora’s connection to ANSEP continued through her work with the Middle School Academy. She began as a Youth Peer Mentor in 2016 and has since served in a variety of roles, continuing to support students and give back to the program that supported her own educational journey.

Currently, Flora is pursuing a B.S. in Natural Science with a concentration in Environmental Sciences and this summer she completed her University Success internship with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management! She primarily worked on two projects: peer reviewing a winter ringed seal density study, where she focused on readability and general understanding from a non-scientific perspective, and developing K-12 outreach ideas with a wildlife biologist to create bird-focused lesson frameworks and activities for students in Kaktovik. Thank you to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for providing Flora with this valuable experience and opportunity to apply her skills through hands-on projects!

We are so proud to celebrate Flora's journey and the many ways she continues to give back to the ANSEP community. Thank you, Flora, for all you do to support and inspire our students!

Read more about Flora's ANSEP journey at: https://www.ansep.net/14-years-of-ansep-flora-andrews-on-finding-her-path-and-giving-back/

08/25/2026

Nome’s ANSEP Acceleration Academy kicked off year two with a Student Orientation in its new location at UAF’s Northwest Campus! Between finalizing registrations, completing training, and participating in safety drills, students still found time to have fun, welcome honored guests, and give back to the community.

On Wednesday, Kawerak Staff Attorney Sigvanna Topkok, Judge Pam Hess, and the Honorable Chief Justice Susan Carney visited the Academy to talk about Justice Carney’s visit to Nome, her professional journey, and her experiences serving on Alaska’s Supreme Court. Students had the opportunity to “try on” Judge Hess’s robe and ask her questions about the judicial system, making for an engaging and memorable visit. On Thursday, students visited Nome Elementary School to “Chalk the Walk”, filling the front sidewalk and parking lot with colorful, inspiring messages for Nome’s K-5th graders. Several students also volunteered inside, providing classroom support to teachers. Orientation wrapped up with the ANSEP Family Program Orientation & BBQ in the new Academy space, bringing students, families, and community partners together to celebrate the start of the school year.

Thank you to Kawerak Staff Attorney Sigvanna Topkok, Judge Pam Hess, Chief Justice Susan Carney, Nome Elementary Principal Corey Shephard and staff, Northwest Campus staff, Tom Vaden, and Nome Rotary. ANSEP is grateful for the community support that makes meaningful and memorable opportunities like this possible for the Nome Acceleration Academy!

08/25/2026

Welcome back, ANSEP students! Last week, 187 high school students attended orientation for the Full-Time Acceleration Academy in Anchorage, Mat-Su, Kotzebue, Nome, and Bethel. Students participated in team-building activities, hands-on learning, volunteer opportunities, and other experiences to prepare for the exciting year ahead!

08/20/2026

Emma Daniel (Yup’ik) is from Bethel, Alaska, and has been part of ANSEP since 2021, when the ANSEP Acceleration Academy launched in Bethel. She participated in the Acceleration component for three years, earning more than 60 college credits before graduating from high school, and continued her ANSEP journey in 2024 through the Bridge component, where she interned with the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) Natural Resource Department.

Today, Emma is an ANSEP scholar at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she is pursuing a degree in Natural Resources and Environment with minors in Alaska Native Languages and Environmental Change. She also serves as a recitation lead through ANSEP University Success.

This summer, Emma returned to Bethel to intern with AVCP’s Climate Adaptation and Emergency Management Program. Her work focused on how major climate events and disasters affect communities and subsistence resources throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. During her internship, Emma compiled a 10-year historical timeline of declared and local disasters, conducted, transcribed, and translated interviews with community members, and synthesized qualitative findings into a final report identifying patterns related to Tribal governance, climate adaptation, and food security. Emma was especially excited to bring together Traditional Knowledge and Western scientific data through community interviews. She also traveled to communities to support Small Community Emergency Response Plan efforts and update emergency plans with residents.

Emma says ANSEP has helped her grow as a student and future professional by providing opportunities, support, and a strong community. Through ANSEP, she has been able to explore her interests in environmental change, food security, climate change, and the relationship between science and Alaska Native communities.

“ANSEP has also helped me understand that my background and perspective are valuable in science,” says Emma. “Through my experiences, I have become more interested in how Indigenous knowledge can complement Western science, especially because experiences, observations, and knowledge within Alaska Native communities may not always be captured through Western scientific data alone. I want to help bridge these knowledge systems to better understand and respond to the changes affecting Alaskan communities. ANSEP has shown me that my cultural background can be an important part of the work I hope to do in science and natural resources.”

We are so proud to highlight Emma's journey and look forward to seeing the impact she will continue to make in her community and in the field of natural resources. Quyana to our strategic partners at Association of Village Council Presidents for always supporting ANSEP students and encouraging Alaska’s future leaders! Chin'an gu nin yu! Quyanaq! Gunalchéesh! Quyanaa! Qaĝaalakux̂!

08/19/2026

Orientation week is here! This week, we are welcoming 28 ANSEP students to the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks as they begin an exciting new chapter with ANSEP Bridge.

Throughout the week, these students have been getting to know one another, learning about ANSEP, meeting staff, and participating in workshops to build skills and prepare for the semester ahead. Earlier today, ANSEP staff and professors also joined us for a panel discussion, answering student questions and offering valuable advice as they begin their first year of college.

Welcome to ANSEP Bridge, students!

08/14/2026

Meet Elenor Whitney, an ANSEP student from Bethel, who spent this summer exploring marine science through an internship at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Homer!

Working with the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network (AHAB), Elenor collected mussels and other shellfish, prepared samples for toxin testing, and sent them to Anchorage for analysis. She also collected phytoplankton samples from the harbor and used a microscope to identify different phytoplankton species.

Elenor first joined ANSEP in 2019, when she participated in the Middle School Academy and Career Explorations opportunity. After graduating from high school, she returned to ANSEP in fall 2023 for the Bridge component and became part of ANSEP University Success. She is now pursuing a bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Alaska Anchorage and plans to graduate in spring 2027.

“ANSEP has helped me reach my goals by giving me opportunities through internships that have helped me determine what direction I want to go career-wise,” said Elenor. “Without all of the experiences that I have had through ANSEP, I would not be as well-versed in applying for internships and making a resume as I am now. I would tell a prospective student that ANSEP wants you to succeed and will support you through the awesome community they have formed. If you ever need help, there's someone at ANSEP willing to help you.”

We are so proud to see Elenor gaining hands-on experience, exploring her career interests, and building valuable skills for her future. Thank you to the Alaska Ocean Observing System and Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for providing Elenor with this incredible opportunity to gain experience in her future field! Quyana! Chin’an gu nin yu! Quyanaq! Gunalchéesh! Quyanaa! Qaĝaalakux̂!