HomeMy WebLinkAbout8b Letter of Support Jens JacobsenNenana City Public School
PO Box 10 Nenana, AK 99760
Phone: (907) 832-5464/Fax: (907) 832-5625
"A Community of Opportunity - Preparing Students for Life"
Sept. 20, 2013
Shawn Calfa, Grant Manager
Alaska Energy Authority
813 West Northern Lights Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99503
Dear Mr. Calfa,
Please accept this letter of support for the, "Nenana Collaborative Biomass Heating System Project"
application being submitted by the Nenana City School District in collaboration with the City of Nenana
and the Nenana Native Council.
I am currently serving as the Alaska Native Education (ANE) Grant Project Director, High School Math
Instructor, and High School Computer Science Instructor at Nenana City Public School. I have been
working at NCPS since 2011. I have been apart of the educational system since 2006 in both
Minnesota, and Alaska, and I've held positions of Math Instructor and MYP International Baccalaureate
(IB) Coordinator at my previous schools.
Our current ANE grant has an initiative focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM). Teachers are working on developing curricula in which STEM is the driving force through K-
12. With many great opportunities right in our back door, we are coming up with some exciting new
things. STEM is all about having students experience hands-on, meaningful, real world experiences.
Students are not only asked to develop a problem solving process, but also to come up with solutions
that better mankind through the engineering design cycle. Written in our current ANE grant are three
goals.
• Goal #1- Enhance the educational services provided to the Alaska Native students attending
NCPS.
• Goal #2- Improve the academic of Alaska Native students attending NCPS.
• Goal #3 - Increase the readiness of NCPS students to pursue STEM careers
My support for this project is driven towards seeing students have more real -world experiences
through this project and have more technology and other 21st century tools in the school because of
reduced costs the project would bring to the school. As we expand our STEM programs, we hope to
bring new and exciting experiences and tools.
We are excited about this opportunity and appreciate the, "Nenana Collaborative Biomass Heating
System Project," being considered for funding. It will definitely go a long way in helping the
community and especially our students.
Sincerely,
jensjacobsen
ANE Grant Project Director, Nenana City Public School
"providing all students with the tools and learning environment necessary to
commit to achieving success"