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๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ: ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐
In Kuspuk School District, some of the most meaningful learning takes place beyond classroom walls. Along the rivers and across the landscapes of the Kuskokwim region, students have opportunities to become researchers, teammates, and leaders. Through the Math Science Expedition and George River Internship, young people connect academic learning with practical experiences that deepen their understanding of the environment and introduce possibilities for their futures.
Both programs welcome students from Kuspuk School District, Alaska EXCEL, and our financial partners. These shared experiences bring young people together to learn from professionals, build friendships, and take on new challenges. Students in both programs can earn high school credits in science, mathematics, and electives. The George River Internship also provides a paid internship experience, combining academic learning with the responsibilities and rewards of meaningful work.
Founded in 2005, the Math Science Expedition, or MSE, introduces students entering grades seven through twelve to an outdoor classroom along the Salmon and Aniak rivers. During an extended rafting expedition, participants work alongside educators, scientists, and other professionals to investigate river ecosystems. Students identify juvenile fish, measure their length and weight, record observations, and compare findings across different habitats. Mathematics becomes a practical tool for understanding the river as students organize measurements, examine patterns, and discuss their results.
MSE also introduces Alaska botany, helping students recognize plants and explore how vegetation changes across the landscape. Discussions of local plant names and cultural uses connect ecological study with community knowledge. Leadership activities encourage cooperation, thoughtful decisions, and problem solving, while wilderness first aid gives students opportunities to practice responding to emergencies in remote settings. Together, these activities create opportunities to build confidence, accept responsibility, and recognize the importance of contributing to a team.
The George River Internship, or GRI provides an opportunity for students to deepen their interests in natural resources and environmental research. Organized through Kuspuk School District and the Native Village of Napaimute, the program places interns alongside fisheries professionals in a remote field setting. Participants assist with salmon counting, biological sampling, habitat investigations, and data analysis. They examine water quality, measure stream flow, study aquatic insects, and investigate juvenile fish populations. These tasks introduce the careful observation, accurate recordkeeping, and consistent methods that scientific work requires.
The internshipโs value extends beyond the individual experience. Student findings contribute to information used to monitor the George Riverโs health over time. Participants see how their efforts can help build an understanding of a Kuskokwim tributary while gaining skills relevant to fisheries and natural resource employment. With travel, meals, and lodging covered, interns can focus on learning, completing their academic work, and contributing to the project.
The George River Internship has also brought emerging research methods directly to the riverbank. University of Alaska Fairbanks research materials document students collecting environmental DNA samples and participating in laboratory techniques at a field camp on a George River gravel bar. Experiences like these allow students to encounter advanced science in a familiar regional landscape and explore new ways of studying the waters around them.
These opportunities depend on strong partnerships and a shared commitment to young people. Donlin Gold, the Native Village of Georgetown, the Native Village of Napaimute, and The Kuskokwim Corporation have provided support through direct financial contributions and assistance connected to grant funding opportunities. Their investment helps make these educational experiences possible and strengthens connections among schools, communities, and organizations throughout the region.
In recent years, Kuspuk School District has also received grants from the Bethel Community Foundation and Alaska Department of Education that have supported these programs. The district appreciates the generosity of every partner, along with the dedication of the educators, scientists, and staff who guide students through these experiences.
Together, the MSE and GRI offer learning rooted in place, purpose, and participation. Whether students are collecting fish data, practicing first aid, or completing research assignments, they are building skills they can carry into school, employment, and community life. These programs celebrate the regionโs young people and invest in their ability to help shape its future.
Applications and info can be found at
Math Science Expedition
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScepk.../viewform
George River Internship
https://www.kuspuk.org/activities/george-river-internship
MSE-GRI Facebook Page
https://m.facebook.com/login/...
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