The Iñupiaq Education Department uses the Iñupiaq values, culture, history, language and world view as a foundation upon which to provide instructional support. We support Iñupiat-centered orientation in all areas of instruction and aim to empower and inspire our students, parents and teachers to succeed.
Iñupiaq language instruction utilizing the Accelerated Second Language Acquisition Method
Cultural based instructional unit development and teacher training
Values based instructional resources
Multimedia resources
Inservices to provide strategies for teachers to meet the parallel school board goals of teaching through the Iñupiaq culture to ensure student academic success
The NSBSD offers an Iñupiaq Language Program that is intended to foster fluency in Iñupiaq. This is a pull-out program where students are offered Iñupiaq language instruction with an Iñupiaq Language Teacher separate from the general education teacher. Instruction is based on the Accelerated Second Language Acquisition (ASLA) methodology and supported with a customized computer based language-learning tool titled Visual Iñupiaq Language Assessment, or VIVA.
The Iñupiaq Learning Framework shall be the foundation from which coherent Iñupiaq-based academic curricula and assessment processes will emanate. The North Slope Borough School District is mapping and developing instructional programs and practices in accordance with the Iñupiaq Learning Framework (ILF) consistent with the district curriculum alignment, integration and mapping effort. Through a holistic and interdependent approach to education guided by, and deeply rooted in iñua, we foster the development of spiritual, social, cultural, environmental, emotional, physical and economic connection leading to well-grounded, well educated individuals able to navigate effectively in a modern world.