Prevention

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Summer Learning: Reclaiming Summer Break for Alaskan Children

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This season across Alaska, children are participating in camps and activities that boost confidence and prevent summer learning loss. Without continued engagement, students may start the new school year at lower academic achievement levels. Enrichment programs fend off the summer slide by helping youth maintain academic abilities, get involved with their communities, embark on outdoor adventures, or try out new areas of inquiry, such as hands-on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). 


The gap in learning becomes pronounced for those from lower income families.

Preventing Youth Suicide in Light of ’13 Reasons Why’

The new Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has created a lot of buzz recently around the topic of teen suicide. The show graphically chronicles a fictional teen’s suicide and, in many ways, glamorizes it.

Suicide among youth is a serious concern for everyone who engages with young people – whether at home, in school, or during out-of-school time. According to the Kids Count Alaska 2013-14 data book, suicides were the second highest cause of deaths among youth ages 10-17. And in areas outside of Anchorage, the suicide rate among youth is four times higher.