ANSEP’s Career Explorations Week

ANSEP Acceleration Academy immerses 170 high school students in STEM and business opportunities.

This week (May 5th, 2025) the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program is hosting its annual Career Explorations, bringing together 170 full-time ANSEP Acceleration Academy high school students from campuses around the state.

The contingency includes 91 students from Anchorage, 45 from Bethel, 27 from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and 7 from Kotzebue. Students will participate in immersive experiences covering a wide range of career fields, from hands-on learning opportunities to site visits to interaction with industry professionals and university faculty.

ANSEP’s Career Explorations Week is designed to expose students to potential career paths in industries such as earth and environmental sciences, aviation, health care and resource development – all critical to Alaska’s economy. Through interactive activities and real-world experiences, students gain valuable insights into the skills and knowledge required for success in these fields.

ANSEP Acceleration Academy students are already ahead of the game, earning college credits while in high school at no cost to them or their families thanks to support from ANSEP’s generous strategic partners. Career Explorations Week provides ANSEP students with practical skills, a deeper understanding of industry expectations, and prepares them for real-world work situations.

“ANSEP is dedicated to empowering Alaska’s students and cultivating the next generation of our state’s workforce,” said ANSEP Executive Director Matt Calhoun, PhD. “We want to provide experiences that inspire our students, broaden their horizons, and help them make informed decisions about their future education and career paths.”

Students will engage with:

Aviation: Alaska Airlines, one of ANSEP’s generous strategic partners, is not only providing airfare for students from across the state to attend Career Explorations in Anchorage but is also hosting students for a tour of their hangar and insight into airline operations and aviation careers. Students will tour UAA Aviation’s facilities, including maintenance labs and flight simulators.

Business, entrepreneurship and financial literacy: With support from ANSEP partners at Baird, Alaska Business Week and Junior Achievement, students will meet with successful business professionals from leading Alaska industries, participate in simulations, and attend workshops on personal finance and investment to gain practical knowledge and skills for the future.

Design and manufacturing: Hands-on experiences made possible by Cook Inlet Tribal Council will unleash students’ creativity and problem-solving skills through hands-on experiences with 3D printing and CNC machining at the state-of-the-art Denelchin Lab.

Earth and environmental science: Students will spend time at the Campbell Creek Science Center with the Bureau of Land Management, longtime ANSEP supporters. A key activity will be a “creek dig” with BLM scientists, providing a taste of field research. Sessions will cover topics such as stream mechanics, watershed dynamics, erosion, hydrology and soil remediation.

Engineering: Students will tackle hands-on projects related to health, water infrastructure, renewable energy, and climate with partners at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Health care: Health care immersion provides students with opportunities to explore diverse career paths alongside medical professionals and learn about cutting-edge technologies shaping patient care. With partners from Stop the Bleed Training, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and WWAMI School of Medical Education, students will experience an emergency room simulation and discover the field of occupational therapy.

ANSEP’s full-time Acceleration Academy offers a unique and tuition-free pathway for high school students to earn college credit while completing their high school diploma. The full-time program, running from August to May, includes university coursework, collaborative study, and hands-on projects, all designed to prepare students for success in college and future careers. Students benefit from a supportive learning community, peer mentorship, and significant cost savings. The average ANSEP Acceleration Academy student graduates high school with over 60 college credits.

Applications for the fall 2025 semester are open on a rolling basis until July 16, for campuses in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Bethel, Kotzebue and including the new Acceleration Academy in Nome.