Students build computers at ANSEP middle school academy

Dozens of middle school students from rural communities are spending time in Anchorage for an academy focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.

The idea is to foster students' interests in those areas early on.

Yosty Storms, ANSEP regional director, said they want students to get on a path toward a career while they're young.

"At this age we just wanna expose them to what's out there, there's a lot they could choose to do, but we really want to engage them with STEM early on," Storms said.

Students assembled computers on Wednesday and get to keep them if they complete Algebra 1 before high school and maintain "C" grades or better in math and science classes.