Progress 09/15/03 to 02/28/07

Outputs
With the termination of Ilisagvik College's (IC) 2003 USDA award on Febraury 28, 2007, administration can see the effects this funding has had on the college, the students, and the residents of the North Slope Borough (NSB). Having had the need for two extensions on this project due to numerous staff changes and the evolving needs in the community, IC has met the majority of the actual project's original timeline and adjusted the objectives accordingly. The major difference from the original project description and the most recent no-cost extension was that the development of the chemistry and microbiology curriculum did not take place. In the original proposal, IC felt that this objective was attainable but after a more intense exploration into the development of science labs at the main campus, it was made clear that due to environmental factors beyond the college's control, the labs could not be located on campus. This led administration to explore the option of offering the classes at the local high school but logistics with the North Slope Borough School District (NSBSD) with respect to teaching staff and regulations did not allow for these classes to be offered. However, this past year, after many months of negotiation, IC and the NSBSD have developed a partnership that will allow for college classes to be offered at the high school for both high school and college credit. Based on the initial products and outcomes of the project, IC has successfully accomplished what it set out to do. Each day the partnerships with the NSB Health Department, the Arctic Slope Native Association, and the Native Villages are growing stronger. Additional partnerships with the NSBSD, the village corporations, and other colleges in the State of Alaska have been developed during the project's duration and continue to grow stronger each day. When looking back at this project and what it has done for IC and the residents of the NSB, three major components come to the forefront: 1) The development of the Nutrition class which has impacted residents on the relevance and values of subsistence food in our everyday diet; 2) The development and success of the Allied Health Summer Camp which has opened the door to new options and opportunities for our youth; and 3) The development of curriculum for the Allied Health Associate of Science Degree and related short-term training has begun to prepare local residents for health careers. These three areas of development continue to grow and service the residents of the NSB even with the termination of funding. Future initiatives include the development of these areas to be taught in the Inupiat language. The funding from this project has been invaluable to the education of both students and project staff. The awareness of health issues and careers, and how they impact the people of the NSB, has been an invaluable teaching tool to everyone. Doors have been opened to first-generation college students who are now seeking higher education so that they can return to their villages to work in professional roles. IC is committed to assisting these individuals to obtain employment on the NSB upon completion of their education. PRODUCTS: The funding for this project assisted in three major areas of development in which Ilisagvik was able to produce tangible outcomes that have benefited and continue to benefit the Inupiat people on the North Slope. The development of the Nutrition class has impacted residents on the relevance and values of subsistence food in their everyday diet. This class will continue to be offered each semester and during the Allied Health Summer Camp. As well, this class is also being developed in the Inupiat language and should be available for credit within the next year. The development of curriculum for the Allied Health Associate of Science Degree and related short-term training has begun to prepare local residents for health careers. This curriculum can be viewed on the college's website at www.ilisagvik.cc. 2008 is the anticipated year for Ilisagvik to have its first Allied Health graduate. The development and success of the Allied Health Summer Camp has opened the door to new options and opportunities for our youth. Students have begun to enroll in health related classes with the intention of fulfilling the requirements to become health professionals on the North Slope. Students are becoming more aware of health related situations that they come to face with on a daily basis and are now able to deal with them in a mature and educated manner. OUTCOMES: Ilisagvik College has been able to measure the success of this project based on the immediate effects it has had on its students and the community at large. Due to the direction the college took with this funding, partnerships with other North Slope and Southern Alaskan groups has increased and become stronger. With an emphasis on health and nutrition, community leaders and active community members have recognized the importance of this field and have embraced the college's goals to educate the community and assist with keeping local residents in the area for future employment. The Native communities are known to be first generation college students with many elders teaching from the land. Ilisagvik respects these values and has adapted its teaching methods to be all-inclusive of this. With a new hospital being built in the next five years, it is apparent that this will open up a number of possible jobs. Who better than to fill these positions than local residents? Teaching courses in the native language of Inupiaq will help those individuals who are seeking employment in the future but will also help those who are currently working in the health field but not of Native descent. The first course to be developed and taught in Inupiat is the Introduction to Nutrition class with other courses such as Medical Terminology and Medical Coding to follow soon after. With the development of these new health related courses, Ilisagvik is seeing a rise in enrollment in this field of study. Classes are being filled by Native and non-Native students; by high school and college students; by health professionals; and, by elders who are simply interested in taking the courses for personal development. The Allied Health Summer Camp's enrollment is full with students on the waiting list. This camp holds the reputation of offering high quality education in a fun setting, which has proven to be the key to students' learning even in the summer when they are on vacation. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: In July of 2005, the college came under new leadership that addressed the needs of the residents of the North Slope. Under this new guidance came a change in marketing, which was to the betterment of the college. Every new program or project includes the marketing angle and how best to get the message out to the community. With an understanding of the Native communities on the North Slope and how they work, each program is uniquely marketed and disseminated. Not everyone is computer literate, nor does everyone have cable television on the Slope. Therefore, each program is circulated differently. With visits to each village, which included a public forum and meetings at the high school, presentations on the project were made. Regular visits to all villages are done through the marketing department and awareness of the programs funded by the grant is done. Additional promotion and status of the programs is also done periodically via radio announcements, flyers that go into each restaurant, and through word of mouth via the village liaisons who are individuals situated in each village and employed by both the college and the North Slope Borough to assist village residents with any needs they have. As well, word of mouth from students receiving support from the program has been the most successful and predominant way of disseminating information about the project. College representatives are also in attendance at all major community events promoting what is new through flyers, college catalogues, and one-on-one conversations with inquisitive community members. The college has also adopted a new lunch and learn program that is a perfect way for people to sample the types of classes that are being offered. Classes that utilize funds from this project have been very successful and those in attendance know that the classes are made possible because of these grant funds. Finally, the college produces an annual report that is delivered to every mailbox on the North Slope that highlights the accomplishments from the past year, as well as the new course offerings that the college has available. The new Allied Health Associate of Science Degree will be highlighted in this report. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives of this project include the development of the Nutrition class to be taught in the Inupiat language with other courses to follow. As well, the anticipated date of the first graduate of the Allied Health Associate of Science Degree is an initiative that not only Ilisagvik College is awaiting, but the staff, community partners, and residents are looking forward to as this has been a long process with real results to shown in the not-to-distant future. Finally, the continuation of the Allied Health Summer Camp program being offered annually is a commitment the college has made.

Impacts
With an emphasis on health and nutrition, Ilisagvik's partners have recognized the importance of this field and have embraced the college's goals to educate the community and assist with keeping local residents in the area for future employment. With a new hospital being built in the next five years, it is apparent that this will open up a number of possible jobs. Teaching courses in the native language of Inupiaq will help those individuals who are seeking employment in the future but will also help those who are currently working in the health field but not of Native descent. With the development of these new health related courses, Ilisagvik is seeing a rise in enrollment in this field of study. Classes are being filled by Native and non-Native students; by high school and college students; by health professionals; and, by elders who are simply interested in taking the courses for personal development. The Allied Health Summer Camp's enrollment is full with students on the waiting list. This camp holds the reputation of offering high quality education in a fun setting, which has proven to be the key to students' learning even in the summer when they are on vacation. Students anticipate the reunion camp and act as ambassadors for the program, marketing it to their friends. An awareness of health and nutrition, a sound education in the Allied Health field, and a clear picture of future employment on the North Slope has impacted the Northern Alaskan communities in a positive manner making healthy lifestyles not only feasible, but also attainable.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06

Outputs
With a major staff transition during the 2005-2006 school year, attempting to meet deadlines as proposed in our initial application was extremely difficult. Having been granted an extension to 02/28/07 has enabled Ilisagvik College to work diligently to meet our objectives. Based on the recent extension, the following objectives have been met: Shayna Strong was assigned as the new PD in March '06; Deborah Hope Lyn was assigned as the new AOR in March '06; a very successful Allied Health Summer Camp was planned in conjunction with the North Slope Borough and the Arctic Slope Native Association during May and June '06; during recruitment efforts in April and May '06, Ilisagvik staff met with students and community members to discuss potential nutrition and health needs which the results are reflected in the Ilisagvik 2006/07 academic calendar; all summer camp details were finalized during June and July '06 and a successful program was held during July and August '06; the allied health consortium continues to meet to strengthen the programs and services offered to NSB residents; a nutrition and allied health instructor position was advertised and Miss Phyllis Wallace was hired to fulfill this role in July '06; the PD attended the annual CSREES conference for USDA awardees in May '06; marketing for allied health courses was done during the summer of '06; classes in allied health were offered during the fall semester; evaluation of fall allied health courses were done in December '06; and marketing for the spring allied health courses is ongoing at this time. Currently, we are in the process of planning the reunion camp for participants in the 2006 Allied Health Summer Camp. At the end of February 2007, we will be able to generate and publish our final report of this project. PRODUCTS: The products of this project are as follows: 1) The identification of training and employment needs in nutrition and health industries; 2) The identification of quality of life issues in the North Slope Borough (NSB) villages, especially as the relate to health and nutrition; 3) The development of curriculum for nutrition education, linked with allied health and Inupiat culture; 4) The increase of skills and knowledge of NSB residents working in the nutrition/health industries; 5) The increase in number of NSB residents gaining interest in the nutrition/health field; and 6) The increase in number of NSB residents gaining employment in the nutrition/health field OUTCOMES: The outcomes of this project as they relate to the products of the project are as follows: 1) Working with the North Slope Borough Health Department and the Arctic Slope Native association, the consortium identified the need for trained professionals in various allied health fields on the North Slope. Areas such as dental assisting, veterinary technicians, medical coding, and emergency medical technicians were offered in short term courses with an outcome of trained professionals gaining employment in their communities. 2) Bordered in the north by the Arctic Ocean and in the south by the Brooks Mountain Range, the NSB is the northernmost organized municipality in the United States, lying entirely above the Arctic Circle. Treeless, lowland tundra dotted by marshes, small lakes, meandering streams, and rivers dominate this vast area, which is roughly equal in size to the state of Minnesota. Inupiat Eskimos have lived in the region for nearly two thousand years, their survival dependent on their ability to draw sustenance from the land and the sea. Because of the remoteness of the North Slope, material goods common and inexpensive in the rest of the United States can be unavailable or very expensive. The price of a gallon of milk is over $7.00 and a gallon of gas is $4.95. In general, the cost of living is twice as high as in the Lower 48 supporting the need for continued subsistence living by the Inupiat. 3) The Introduction to Nutrition course was developed and taught as a trial course earlier in this grant to only a couple of students. It has been revised and offered during each semester but there has been no interest. Offering it as a short term class during the summer camp and as a fun shop has been successful. The development of this class in the Inupiat language is currently underway. 4) Ilisagvik College sends educators/advocates into the villages on a regular basis to assist with promoting programs and recruiting students for college programs. Many of the classes that are offered are attractive to high school students as they can obtain dual credit. One of Ilisagvik College's long-term goals is to increase the number of Alaska residents who 1) complete their high school diploma, 2) continue with their post-secondary education, and 3) obtain jobs in Alaska, and more specifically, the North Slope. 5) Through the various classes, long- and short-term, and the summer camp held in conjunction with the North Slope Borough and the Arctic Slope Native Association, Ilisagvik College is raising the awareness of personal health and nutrition through education. By making the classes attractive to all community members, Ilisagvik College has offered classes in Nutrition, Medical Coding, Dental Assisting, and Medical Terminology to name a few which have all been very successful in heightening awareness and interest into nutrition and health. 6) Students from the Allied Health Summer Camp have furthered their skills in the health field outside of the summer program by enrolling in advanced emergency training courses. The dental assisting program has had a very high employment rate after successful completion of their training. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Through this grant, Ilisagvik College has been able to reach out to community members to educate, train, and assist with nutrition and health related information. Local area residents have received this information through and benefited by attending lunch and learns at the hospital, attending the allied health summer camp, enrolling in classes offered by Ilisagvik College, and learning about opportunities on the Ilisagvik website and local area television. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future Initiatives of the Project: This project comes to an end on February 28, 2007. However, the need for additional education and training in the nutrition and health fields has proven to be essential on the North Slope especially with the opening of the new hospital facility. With the development of the health classes to be offered in the Inupiat language in the near future, education in this ever-growing field will remain a priority. As this project comes to a close, the realization for education in this growing field is imminent. Through local, state, and federal funds, Ilisagvik College will be able to continue offering education and training in the nutrition and health fields that was started through the funds from this project.

Impacts
This project has proven to be a positive influence on the North Slope communities to residents and professionals alike. With the development of the new hospital in the near future and the environmental factors related to food, residents are beginning to show an interest in their future. Through the Allied Health Summer Camp program, Ilisagvik College has seen a number of high school students over the past three years take an interest in health education and aspire to further their education in the health field. Knowing that with this education and their determination to do well, there will be opportunities for them to return to their home to work. Students are now taking an active role in their education and pursuing fields that were once not an option for them or something that was never an interest to them. Working together with the North Slope Borough and the Arctic Slope Native Association, Ilisagvik College has been able to draw on professionals in various medical fields to contribute to the development of two Allied Health Certificate programs and an Allied Health Associate Degree. With the expansion of classes offered at the college, the hiring of an Allied Health Instructor to head up the various projects was imperative. With the expertise of our faculty, students, community members, and various organizations have benefitted with the education of the importance of nutrition and health education. This program continues to grow and will do so even when this grant comes to a close.

Publications

• No publications reported this period