Brightways Learning’s Impact in Alaska
Since 2004, Brightways Learning has been supporting Alaska students, educators, and communities. From resilience-building and trauma-informed services for youth and adults, to culturally-responsive and community-based projects and more, our commitment to Alaska runs broad and deep. We currently partner with 22 Alaska school districts and continue to grow!
Our services act as an equalizer for all students. That is, regardless of a student’s socioeconomic status, gender, trauma experiences, or other typically categorized risk factors, every participating student will gain life-long skills to grow their resilience, improve their education experience, and learn how to thrive. Below you will find information about the impact from our youth-centered events, adult-centered trainings, and community engagement.
This infographic shows nine of the 22 school districts we partner with around the state of Alaska.
Summary of Outcome results from 6th-12th grade students across a network of five school districts in Alaska.
PHlight Club Youth-Centered Events
Video from our 2019 PHlight Club in Klawock. More than 100 students and adults attended from four school districts.
“After years of feeling isolated and lonely, I had bottled up my feelings to the point I thought I would explode. Phlight Club made me realize that I wasn’t alone, that there were many people out there who loved and cared for me. I learned how to identify those people and reach out and ask for support. I discovered the importance of building a strong Web of Support. Phlight Club not only helped me through a rough patch, but it also had an enormous impact on the rest of my life.”
Since 2007, Brightways Learning has been hosting 10-12 PHlight Clubs each year across Alaska, with between 20 and 100 students participating in each event. During these highly engaging and interactive experiences, PHlight Club events bring together students and adults from the community to learn important social, emotional, and resiliency skills.
Students who participate in PHlight Club are more likely to improve academically, increase their resilience, lower their risk factors, and increase their protective factors. See Summary of Outcome Results.
Hear from Alaska youth and adults about the power of PHlight Club:
PHlight Club: The Why from a Student’s Perspective - by 16-year-old Caitlin
The Life-changing Power of PHlight Club - by Leigh White, therapist at Community Connections on POW
PHlight Club helps Students Learn Life Skills While Having Fun - By Amy McDonald, School Counselor, Southeast Island School District
From Loners to Leaders - by 15-year olds Kimejoe and Eugene
From Shy Kid to Community Leader - by Gerald Patsy
Professional Development for Educators
Research shows there’s a correlation between a school’s support for their educators and the job performance, satisfaction, and longevity of their educators. Brightways supports growth and resilience by offering professional development workshops and collaboration tools for Alaska educators and other youth-serving adults. Each year we host two 2-day workshops in Alaska (see below), each with a beginner and advanced track. On average 60 educators attend and benefit from these workshops. We also provide customized professional development for schools throughout the state.
Resilient Educator Workshops: Each summer*, educators from across the state gather at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood to learn how to increase their personal and professional resilience by building Webs of Support. This is especially important in rural communities. When teachers have strong connections with other adults in their school and community, their job longevity increases as does their ability to drive student success. *Due to COVID 19, our 2020 June workshops will held on February 11-12, 2021.
Creating Resilient Youth & Trauma-informed Practices Workshops: Each fall, educators attend our workshops in Anchorage to focus on building resilient students and applying trauma-informed practices that launch student success. These engaging and popular workshops equip educators the with the framework, skills, and tools to work alongside youth to amplify their strengths and self-activate their complex systems of support.
“This was one of the best workshops I’ve ever attended! I will immediately be able to implement what I learned about Webs of Support in my classroom.”
ClassBright Evaluate: In partnership with Alaska Gateway School District, Brightways Learning developed ClassBright Evaluate, an online and performance evaluation tool that supports a clear, transparent, and collaborative evaluation process. Educators are engaged in their professional growth through self-reflection and a collaborative evaluation process. Administrators get valuable data to drive staffing and professional development decision. ClassBright is enabling five school districts in Alaska to perform collaborative and meaningful performance evaluations. Hear from Scott MacManus, Superintendent of AGSD.
Culturally-Responsive Training and Projects
Through our Culturally Responsive training and projects, we help identify the appropriate qualities and practices associated with culturally-responsive educators, curriculum, and schools. Our services help integrate local culture and academics. We apply strategies to help educators become more culturally responsive to their students, school, and communities.