Anchorage School Expands Yup’ik Immersion Program, Boosting Indigenous Language and Culture

Amber Arnaqulluk Shields enrolled her son Kangrilnguq in the Yup’ik immersion program at College Gate Elementary after noticing his difficulty socializing with non-Yup’ik-speaking peers. The program, begun in 2018 with a U.S. Department of Education grant, immerses students in Yup’ik for half the day and provides reading and math with an English partner teacher, while elders teach cultural traditions. Principal Darrell Berntsen says the model has reshaped school culture, fostering respect and a village-like atmosphere.

Expansion is underway, adding an 8th-grade class at Wendler Middle School and planning high-school grades, though the district faces teacher shortages, limited funding after the grant, and transportation challenges for families outside the attendance zone. Research links Indigenous language learning to healing historical trauma, and the program has drawn interest from other Indigenous groups worldwide. Shields notes her son now feels normal, participates in subsistence activities, and enjoys school life.