Our Programs

Student Centered Programing

We offer student-centered programing through academic coaching, student-family support, and postsecondary support.

1/4

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Student Centered Programing

Since 2005, the US. Department of Education Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP) grant has consistently and confidently awarded PGKP funding to enrich the educational experience for youth in four of the most rural communities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. Academic and instructional coaching, social emotional learning and case management, postsecondary awareness and enrollment services have supported students, teachers, and families in the Alaska Native villages of Nanwalek, Port Graham, Tyonek, Seldovia, and Ninilchik.

Opportunities include on-site instructional and classroom support for teachers and support staff, one on one and small group academic support for students, youth development and social connections, and culturally-grounded leadership events. Academic coaches and counselors bring students out of their villages to experience youth empowerment events, visit postsecondary training institutions, explore careers related to their interests, and develop meaningful relationships with peers from other communities.

Given the difficulties in providing equitable educational opportunities to these isolated schools, three of which are accessible only by small plane or boat, PGKP has shown unfailing dedication. During the pre-pandemic years, coaches and counselors visited weekly to build on the strengths of youth and community connections. Those in-person experiences are what we all prefer; as educators and connectors of people, we feel most fulfilled when we are together. PGKP is not deterred; however, the PGKP staff is now leveraging its creativity and innovation to provide consistent support through virtual means to meet the goals of increasing academic achievement and high school graduation within four years.

We Impact Generational Change

Current Programs

State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Positive Youth Development Afterschool Program

Creating Healthy Inclusive Learning Lifestyles (CHILL)

In the fall of 2019, PGKP received grant funding to support afterschool programming for grades 5-8 in the three rural communities of Anchor Point, Razdolna, and Voznesenka. Funded through the legalization of marijuana taxes, the primary goal of this program is to prevent youth from using marijuana. This afterschool program provides a safe, healthy, and exciting place for kids to gather, explore, play, connect, and learn, an important alternative to engaging in unsupervised and often high-risk activities. Youth in this age group are seeking independence while experiencing years of extraordinary change; it is important for them to have supportive places to gather with their peers to develop their interests with the guidance of caring adults. They are often natural problem solvers, they love and NEED to laugh, and curiosity about the world is expanding as they gain greater insights as to their place within it.

This program, Creating Healthy Inclusive Learning Lifestyles (CHILL), is all about sharing the excitement of the world with energetic kids so that they can ask questions, seek answers, amplify their understanding, and connect authentically with adults. Academic coaches develop intriguing lessons in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), share mindfulness strategies for managing frustrations and challenging emotions (who doesn’t need that?), play and exercise, and share a nutritious snack. Influenced by a successful and popular model used in Iceland to diminish a disturbing rate of substance misuse, PGKP developed a program whereby youth can participate in organized activities, build their protective factors, and become empowered to dismiss some of the dangerous temptations so plentiful in our world. Funding from the taxes levied on the recently legalized marijuana industry powers this prevention program.

In 2023, PGKP was awarded renewed Positive Youth Development Afterschool Program (PYDAP) funding, allowing this impactful programming to continue for an additional four years and expand opportunities for youth to learn, grow, and thrive.

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

Rural School Counseling Program

Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula's Rural School Counseling Program provides consistent, school-based mental health and comprehensive school counseling services to students in four rural communities on the Kenai Peninsula: Tyonek, Ninilchik, Nanwalek, and Port Graham. Through a partnership with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, a full-time certified school counselor serves students in grades K–12 on a rotating schedule throughout the school year.

The program is designed to increase access to prevention-focused mental health services while strengthening protective factors that support student success. Services include individual and group counseling, classroom social-emotional learning lessons, suicide prevention programming, crisis intervention, academic planning, and postsecondary readiness support. The counselor also works closely with families, school staff, Tribal partners, and existing behavioral health providers to ensure students receive coordinated care when additional services are needed.

Recognizing the unique strengths and challenges of Alaska's rural communities, the program emphasizes relationship building, cultural responsiveness, and early intervention. By providing a consistent counselor presence in each community, Project GRAD helps students develop resilience, strengthen connections with trusted adults, improve school engagement, and access support before challenges become crises.

Program Highlights:

School-based counseling for students in grades K–12
Individual and small group counseling
Evidence-based social-emotional learning
Sources of Strength suicide prevention programming
Crisis response and referral coordination
Academic planning and graduation support
College, career, and postsecondary readiness
Family engagement and community collaboration

Micah Back Design_edited_edited_edited_e

Valerie Sweatshirt Design (002)_edited.p

Every student deserves access to trusted mental health support, regardless of where they live. Our Rural School Counseling Program brings consistent, school-based counseling services to students in Tyonek, Ninilchik, Nanwalek, and Port Graham, helping youth build resilience, strengthen connections, and thrive both in and out of the classroom.

Chugachmiut

Gwangkumciit'stun Cutmen (The Way We Go Forward)

Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula's Gwangkumciit'stun Cutmen (The Way We Go Forward) program connects Alaska Native students with with career exploration, leadership development, cultural learning, and meaningful opportunities to prepare for life after high school. Through a partnership with Chugachmiut, Project GRAD works with students in communities across the Chugach Region, including Nanwalek, Port Graham, Seward, Tatitlek, Chenega, Cordova, and Valdez.

This five year Native Youth Community Project is designed to help students explore their interests, develop practical skills, and build connections between education, culture, community, and future career pathways. Throughout the school year, students participate in career readiness workshops focused on topics such as career exploration, employability skills, postsecondary options, financial literacy, and preparation for the workforce. Programming is delivered through a combination of in-person school visits, virtual connections, and hands-on learning experiences.

Beyond the classroom, Gwangkumciit’stun Cutmen creates opportunities for students to learn through travel, cultural experiences, leadership activities, and career exposure. Students may participate in regional events such as Native Youth Olympics and the Chugachmiut Language Summit, as well as a summer leadership summit and internship opportunities. By connecting students with professionals, employers, Tribal organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other partners, the program helps young people build relationships and gain real-world experience as they consider their next steps.

Gwangkumciit’stun Cutmen supports students in developing confidence, leadership, connection, and a sense of possibility while honoring the importance of culture and community in determining their own path forward.

Program Highlights:

Career readiness workshops throughout the school year
Career and postsecondary exploration
Employability and workforce preparation skills
Financial literacy and practical life skills
In-person and virtual school-based programming
Chugachmiut Language Summit and Summer Leadership Summit opportunities
Summer internship opportunities
Career exposure and connections with professionals and employers
Cultural learning and connection
Partnerships with schools, Tribes, communities, and regional organizations

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Alaska Native Education Program

Promoting Opportunity, Wisdom, Education, and Resilience for Underserved Populations (POWER UP)

On September 30, 2022, Project GRAD began work on a three year innovative project awarded through the U.S. Department of Education Alaska Native Education Program. This project focuses on supporting students in grades 7 to 12 in four of the most isolated communities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District: Port Graham, Nanwalek, Ninilchik, and Tyonek. In 2025, we received a one year extension of this project. POWER UP provides services for deserving students and teachers in several key areas:

promoting cultural wisdom and traditions in the classroom by integrating Alaska Cultural standards and culturally-grounded unit design;
improving health and wellness using research-based best practices;
employing two academic support coaches and a school counselor to connect with students on academic progress and social development;
engaging students in experiential, off-site travel to explore post-secondary opportunities leadership, STEAM, and civics.

In partnership with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, village tribes, and youth supporters in the region, this project is designed to bring students together with peers from other communities and connect them with caring adults, resulting in greater confidence and independence.

Past Programs

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Alaska Native Education Program

Resilience, Independence, Strength, and Education (RISE)

In September 2021, Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula was awarded an additional Alaska Native Education Program three year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This project has four driving goals, focusing on the K-6 student population of Port Graham, Nanwalek, and Tyonek. In 2024, we received a one year extension on this project. Key components emphasize:

increasing links between traditional Native wisdom and classroom learning,
building resiliency for students challenged by trauma and ACEs through research based activities,
improving student mental health and wellness, and
improving academic proficiencies for students in reading, writing, and STEAM.

NAN&PGM -- PHlight Camp, grades 3-6. Phlight camp is an incredible youth empowerment progr

Beginning in kindergarten, Project RISE assists Alaska Native students in connecting with caring adults who recognize and cultivate their strengths and leadership skills while improving academics. A coaching and counseling team collaborates to build critical foundations upon which the K-6 students can thrive.

Program Update February 2026: The RISE K-6 support grant serving Nanwalek, Port Graham, Tebughna and Susan B English Schools (Susan B. added in Year 3) has concluded after all awarded funds from the the Department of Education were fully utilized. This grant made a meaningful impact on our youngest Alaska Native students by strengthening academic skills, supporting social emotional learning opportunities and creating opportunities for family engagement. We remain deeply committed to this work and will continue pursuing future funding opportunities to sustain and grow these services for students and families.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

Kenai Peninsula Native Youth Leadership Program (KPNYL)

A long-term partnership with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) laid the foundation for PGKP to take on coordination of this powerful youth leadership program in 2014. Supported through federal Title VI funding, KPNYL students build pride in their Native American/Alaska Native cultures by engaging in various leadership activities linked to AK Cultural Standards. Students who fulfill the requirements earn .5 elective leadership credit towards graduation.

Activities and projects are designed to encourage personal growth and develop lifelong leadership skills. These opportunities allow youth to more deeply explore their spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing while building pride in their cultural traditions. Leadership skills enhance students’ personal, academic, extracurricular, and tribal community involvement. Native Youth Leaders honor their culture and are empowered in their diversity.

Program Update February 2026: The KPBSD Indigenous Education Department has taken on the operation of KPNYL.

Older Past Programs

21st Century Community Learning Centers
Summer Institute
Project ACCESS

JOBS