Iñupiaq men in qayaqs, Noatak, Alaska, circa 1929. Edward S. Curtis Collection, Library of Congress Digital Collections.
Crossing the Chilkoot Pass, circa 1898. Courtesy Candy Waugaman and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
The Gold Rush boomtown of Nome on the Seward Peninsula, 1900. Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library.
It started with a book club in the small community of Atka.
Three students fascinated by their history, the history of the Unangax̂ people, transformed their curiosity into an award-winning Alaska History Day website. Then, their project went on to earn the National Endowment for the Humanities’ History of Place Award at the National History Day competition.
For decades, Alaska History Day has inspired hundreds of middle and high school students to more deeply engage with history. Every year, 600–800 students from communities across Alaska dive into topics that matter to them – interviewing Elders, analyzing historic photographs and documents, exploring archives, and uncovering stories that deserve to be remembered.
The projects students create are extraordinary. Fairbanks students explored Project Chariot and the birth of the environmental movement, as well as Alaska’s iodine experiments and their impact on medical ethics. Other students have investigated traditional seal harvesting, Alaska Native boarding schools, and the Bombardment of Angoon, to name a few.
Along the way, students build lifelong skills in research, writing, critical thinking, and public speaking. They also discover something even more important: that their voices can shape how others understand the past.
Yet today, this remarkable program is at risk.
Right now, Alaska History Day depends entirely on philanthropic support to fund statewide coordination, teacher resources, student participation, and Alaska’s affiliation with National History Day. You have been a loyal supporter of the Alaska Historical Society both through membership and additional donated dollars. We thank you! We come to you today with another request, one that we don’t make lightly, knowing how much you have already given.
But this is a special situation: Without additional funding, Alaska History Day will go away. If you are in a position to give, your donation will help ensure that Alaska’s middle and high school students continue to learn about hands-on history.
A generous anonymous donor stepped forward yesterday with a $5,000 matching challenge specifically for Alaska History Day. That means that every gift made by August 31 will be doubled, up to $5,000.
The annual cost of this program is $16,500, a small amount considering the immense impact it has on Alaska’s students. Without additional funding, Alaska History Day will not be able to take place this year. Hundreds of students will lose access to a national educational program that every other state – and even many U.S. territories- offers.
Your Alaska History Day gift today can help:
Whether you give $25, $100, $500, or more, your contribution will have twice the impact during this matching campaign.
Please join us in ensuring that Alaska History Day continues to inspire young people by making your gift before August 31. Help us make the decision to run Alaska History Day 2027 an easy one. You can track the progress of our fundraising at the top of this page.
Thank you for believing in Alaska’s students and the value of studying history.
With gratitude,
The Board of the Alaska Historical Society
We also accept corporate sponsorship support for Alaska History Day and have a sponsorship form and recognition info sheet that you can circulate to interested businesses. Together, we can ensure this incredible program for our youth continues.
