Eagle Community School
Our Projects.
Eagle Community School participates in both local and global projects. ECS was involved in a dog care & mushing program called "A-CHILL" which stands for Alaska Care and Husbandry Instruction for Lifelong Learning. This program was a platform for teaching students responsibility in the care of animals by introducing them to the state sport of dog mushing. Students learn valuable lessons in caring for animals, both daily and in an emergency; they learn lessons in nutrition and health, they learn about the historical and cultural components of the use of dogs in Alaska throughout history. Another place-based science project currently available to students is the Fresh Eyes On Ice program. Students are "Citizen Scientists" and collect data on snow and ice depths on the Yukon River all winter.
Project 1. A-CHILL
In 2020 ECS participated in the final year of the A-CHILL grant (a four-year program). Partnering with students from Yukon-Koyukuk School District and 20 villages across the state, ECS students visited local kennels owned by local mushers who were willing to teach them the sport.
Websites to further investigate:
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http://attlamakingofachampion.com/frank-attla-youth-sled-dog-care-mushing-program
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Project 2. Fresh Eyes On Ice
​ECS Students are participating in a citizen science project with UAF scientists. They are monitoring snow and ice depths on the Yukon River. Students report their data to a website that disseminates the information to NASA, the National Weather Service, NOAA, USGS, TCC, and other entities monitoring global climate change. Students make observations about the Yukon River freeze-up. and break -up periods with a drone supplied by UAF. There is also a permanently mounted camera along the riverbank that submits a photo daily.
Student participation in this program is voluntary.