Our Vision

Saving Alaska's past and investing in the future.  Alaska is one in a handful of states in the union that doesn't have a dedicated statewide leadership school.

 

The Balto School will include a cross section of statewide high school juniors, who will study for one condensed semester and return to their home communities with a new set of skills, expectations, and intellectual rigor. Three semester programs, including an enriched summer session, will reach approximately 450 high school juniors per year.

 

Students will be presented with an array of future career options; career development will be an integral part of our school's mission.  Students will discover the benefits and responsibilities of being citizens of Alaska and will leave with a strong desire to be civically engaged in their home communities. After students return to their communities, the Balto School will continue to track and invest resources into the alumni to ensure these young adults are prepared for their future.

 

A special emphasis will be placed on models of Alaska Native leadership and Alaskan history. Native and non-native students will develop cross cultural competencies to better understand the opportunities of our unique state.

 

Sciences, natural resource management, mathematics, politics, technology, mechanics, arts, finance, humanities, literature and hands-on vocational training will be included in this innovative education model.

 

Taking advantage of the wide variety of established educational facilities in Seward will strengthen and diversify this leadership program. Seward's existing educational facilities include; Seward High School, Alaska Vocational Technical Center, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Alaska Science Learning Laboratories, Boys and Girls Club, the Marine Science Center, Kenai Peninsula College, UAA, UAF, Matsu, the Chugach Museum and Institute of History and Art, the proposed Seward Library/Museum, and the Alaska SeaLife Center.

Jesse Lee Home - Aerial View Sketch

Balto School Staff - from left to right: Daniel Becker, Paul Ongtooguk, Dorene Lorenz, Kirsten Vesel, and Alanna Purdy

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