Anchorage School District to provide CTE internship students with transportation

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Sara White, a senior at Chugiak High School, has always been a science person.

“I love that it is always changing,” she said. “I love that I can always ask questions and you usually find the answer to, and if I can’t I search for the answer myself.”

In January, White was able to take her love of science to a new level. White was accepted into the Anchorage School District’s Career and Technical Education internship program. As an intern, White was able to gain hands-on experience as an athletic trainer by working with career professionals.

“We’re all over the place, we may be at the state basketball game, we might be at Chugiak, watching practices and making sure all the athletes there are taken care of,” White said.

This is the first internship session the CTE program has had since its 18-month pandemic pause, according to the district. Students in the program can gain a high school class credit and at least 60 hours of the hands-on internship experience.

This summer, with the help of a grant awarded to the school district, more students will now have the chance to experience the program. The school district is offering transportation assistance for their summer session for internship participants.

Program coordinator Anne Adasiak-Andrew said transportation previously might have limited who could apply for the program, as students who do not have a way to get there would be out of luck.

“We have some public transportation in Anchorage, but it’s not enough to get students all the different places they need to go in the city in a timely manner. I mean, you could spend two hours on a bus,” Adasiak-Andrew said.

The new addition of the assistance program will help alleviate that problem that may have prevented some students from applying.

“It removes that barrier, that financial barrier, that economic barrier, so that this opportunity is open to all students who are motivated and have shown they are good at their talent,” Adasiak-Andrew said.

It’s another way to give all eligible students, including White, a chance to explore more of their career interests and take one step closer to their dream job.

“It’s going to be a great experience. You’re going to learn so much, so just go for it,” White said. “Take that leap and just do it.”

The internship is open to all incoming junior and senior students in the CTE Pathways program. The application deadline for the summer session ends April 1. The internship runs from the end of May to the end of June. Students interested can reach out to their CTE teacher or their building counselor for more details. Allocations can also be found on the ASD website.

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