Monday, August 30, 2010

Dr. Chamard attends Native cultural immersion program

Dr. Chamard by the Arctic Ocean.
Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, spent ten days in July at a subsistence camp on the Kuupik and Colville Rivers south of Nuiqsut in the North Slope Borough. She was selected to participate in the Alaska Humanities Forum program, Take Wing Alaska. This cross-cultural immersion program, "Inupiaq Land Use, Values, and Resources," is presented by Ilisagvik College.

The major focus of Take Wing Alaska is to provide mentored experiential learning for Alaska Native rural students transitioning to urban post-secondary education. The program's long-term vision is for these students to return to their communities to share their knowledge and experiences.

In addition, Take Wing Alaska provides the opportunity for educators to attend a cross-cultural immersion Alaska Native culture camp. The camp experience focuses on Alaska Native peoples, their culture, and their ways of teaching, learning, and living.