On November 9th, Alaska Geographic hosted a joyous end-of-year gathering to celebrate another year of successful youth programming! Program participants, friends, families, agency partners, and community supporters convened at King Career Center to enjoy refreshments and view photos and videos that captured the excitement of the stewardship expeditions, day camps, and outdoor adventures that the youth participated in. Many youth spoke in front of the audience, telling stories of their journeys into Alaska’s beautiful wild places with the Chugach Children’s Forest and the National Park Service. The program participants also excitedly reunited with their fellow expedition members and their Alaska Geographic trip leaders. To conclude the event, the Forest Supervisor of the Chugach National Forest, Terri Marceron, presented the youth in attendance with Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, which they received for dedicating over 75 (and many over 100) hours of service to the conservation of Alaska’s public lands.
With over 75 attendees, this year was our biggest celebration yet! In addition to celebrating the successes of the past year, Alaska Geographic also thanked the many partners who made these programs possible including: The Chugach National Forest, Prince William Sound Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council, REI, Chugach School District, Anchorage School District, UAA Trio Program, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Copper River Watershed Forum, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Alaska Pacific University, Prince William Sound Resource Advisory Council, National Park Service, Alaska Public Lands Information Center, National Park Foundation, Murie Science and Learning Center, Babkin Charters, Lazy Otter Charters, Student Conservation Association, and King Career Center!