Our Mission:
To connect youth with real world challenges, to help them understand the relevance of personal, intellectual, and professional growth, and to inspire them to develop their individual gifts and collaborative strengths.
Our Vision:
To nurture the development of responsible, creative, critical thinkers who apply knowledge, ethics, compassion, and leadership in making informed choices for a healthy future.
Our Educational Model: Core Values and Outcomes
Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STREAM) are woven together through interdisciplinary instruction and experiential learning with an emphasis on innovation, application, field research, and community connections. Our curriculum and assessment are guided by our core values, which determine our intended outcomes. Faculty members are expected to role model our core values, and as such, our intended outcomes not only apply to students, but to faculty as well.
Our Core values are divided into three strands:
- Academic/Intellectual Growth
- Social Assets for Living
- Community Stewardship
- Intellectual Growth: Our staff of highly skilled, caring, and supportive adults will teach students how to think, rather than what to think. Rigorous coursework prepares them for employment in a wide range of fields, including natural and physical sciences, computer science, communications, education, agriculture, energy, and visual and performance arts.
- Research: Our interdisciplinary approach incorporates fieldwork, scientific method, career mentorship, and the purposeful and appropriate use of technology. Students learn to plan and perform research, and to interpret and apply results.
- Cultural Literacy: Our students expand their cultural literacy through foreign language investigation, international exchange, music, fine arts, culinary arts, participation in Alaska Native arts and cultural activities, and seminars with guest experts.
- Purposeful Use of Technology: Our big-picture vision for our school facility includes renewable energy production, innovative wastewater treatment, non-combustive heat production, agricultural systems, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, and mobile computing networks. These integrated elements will not only reduce long-term costs and minimize our ecologic impact, but will serve as a laboratory for interdisciplinary student learning.
- Skillful Communication: Our students develop the writing, speaking, and presentation skills necessary to communicate effectively and gain confidence to express their views while respecting the views of others.
- Responsible/Dependable Reputation: Our students become well-informed, engaged citizens who recognize the costs and benefits of choices, and who demonstrate personal and collective responsibility to local and global communities. Students learn to be dependable, respectful, and considerate to both themselves and others, making them valuable members of the school and community.
- Socio-Emotional Health: Our program emphasizes the benefits of physical fitness, emotional resiliency, and self-esteem, as well as the interconnectedness of these skills. To facilitate the development of these interwoven skills, ARLA’s advisory structure helps build meaningful, dependable, and trustworthy teacher-student and student-student partnerships through which a student can engage support. Education requirements are fulfilled though courses such as martial arts, archery, skiing, and outdoor recreation.
- Relationships: Reduced class size, student-teacher advisory time, and ongoing professional development contribute to more effective instruction and stronger connections between staff and students for a healthy and supportive school environment. Teambuilding, or improving how we work together, becomes a natural part of what we do. Project-based instruction further allows students to learn how to establish and maintain healthy social and professional relationships. Performing meaningful work in our community, students realize purpose in themselves, their peers, and their school.
- Sustainability: Sustainability and stewardship guide all aspects of our school. Students learn to consider the short- and long-term consequences of their actions, both individually and collectively.
- Healthy Living: Our students develop a direct connection to the foods they eat through participation in organic food production, harvesting, processing, storage, and distribution.
- Community Sharing: We see our school as a gathering place for the community, for the sharing of resources, the celebration of student learning, and for the exchange of ideas.Students will develop projects and assignments that serve a broad audience, capitalizing on mentoring, interning, and apprenticeship opportunities with community partners.