1. Galena
Rural Practicum 2009
Renee Moseng, Ann Stone, and Jon Estes
2. Community and Culture
• Galena's original residents were Louden, a tribe of the
Koyukon Athabascan people
• The population of about 700 people is mixed Athabascan
(64 percent) and non-Native (white, Latino, and Asian)
• Galena serves as the
transportation, government
and commercial center for the
western Interior
• Federal, state, city, school and
village government jobs
dominate, but Galena has many
other jobs in air transportation
and retail businesses
3. Community and Culture
• Other seasonal
employment, such as
construction work and
BLM fire fighting, provide
income as well
• Subsistence food sources
for residents include
salmon, whitefish, moose
and berries
4. Community and Culture
• Galena was established in 1918 near an old Athabascan
fish camp called Henry's Point and was a supply and
shipping point for nearby lead ore mines
• In 1920, Athabascans from Louden began moving to
Galena to sell wood to steamboats and to work hauling
freight for the mines
• A school was created in the 1920s
• In World War II, a military air field was built adjacent to
the civilian airport
5. Community and Culture
• During the 1950s, the the Air
Force constructed additional
military facilities at Galena and
the nearby Campion Air Force
Station, in support of Galena's
mission as a forward operating
base under the 5072nd Air Base
Group, headquartered at
Elmendorf Air Force Base
• Improvements to the airport and
the local infrastructure provided
economic growth for the area
6. Community and Culture
Galena supports
• an Olympic sized • a rural campus of
swimming pool University of Alaska
Fairbanks
• a modern dental and
• a radio station (KIYU)
health care facility
• a restaurant • tribal offices for the
Louden, and many tribal
and youth organizations.
Hobo’s Bar and Grill
7. Community and Culture
Galena hosts several special events
• the Iditarod Sled Dog • the Iron Dog Snow
Race Machine Race
• the Spring Carnival • the Yukon 800 boat race.
• the Yukon Jamboree
(fiddle music)
local sled dogs
8. Sidney Huntington’s
Great Idea
• The Campion Air Force Station was phased out during the
late 70's and early 80's and closed in 1993
• The idea for a boarding school in Galena came from the
community, with the powerful backing of Sidney
Huntington, a Athabascan elder respected throughout the
state who served on the board of fish and game.
• Mr. Huntington and others saw the closure of the Galena
Air Base as an opportunity to use the facilities as a site
for students living in rural Alaska to get the best possible
education.
• The school started in 1997 as Project Education Charter
School with 40 students working on project-based
education
9. • The school was renamed the Galena Interior
Learning Academy (G.I.L.A.) and offers vocational
training in automotive technology, aviation,
cosmetology, and culinary arts joined to a rigorous
academic curriculum, with 117 students
• G.I.L.A. turned the Air Force buildings into
classrooms, student facilities and residential living
quarters
• The entire base officially became the property of the
school with a ceremony in September 2008
12. Educational Culture
• Galena School District promotes the PEAK philosophy
• PEAK Learning Systems helps to make learning by all
students a reality through enhanced student motivation,
improved curriculum and assessment that is aligned with
research supported brain compatible instruction
• The students of G.I.L.A. and the Galena’s local high
school, Sidney Huntington, attend classes at both
locations
• Bus transportation between the high school and the
boarding school is provided by Waldo
15. Pedagogy
• G.I.L.A. is a public school that offers vocational
opportunities that most rural high schools are unable to
provide
• G.I.L.A. host students from all parts of Alaska including
major cities like Fairbanks and Anchorage
• Renee says, “Wow, these kids will actually be able to get a
good job right out of high school!”
• Renee, Jon and Ann met a former G.I.L.A. aviation
student as they boarded their Frontier Airlines flight
• G.I.L.A. has an incredibly low dropout rate
17. Pedagogy
• Galena City Schools reflect the cultures of the students
enrolled by offering Indian education programs, Koyukon
studies and the Iditarod project
• Interior Distance Education of Alaska is the homeschool
support program of the Galena City School District since
1997. IDEA serves 3500 students
• Galena is the “little district that could.” In 1999, the
dropout rate was 56%. In year 2004, 85% residential
students passed the state and national benchmarks and
no students dropped out.
• The school board, the city council and the tribal council
were key players in this dramatic turnaround. This is
when the PEAK program was implemented.
18. Pedagogy and PEAK
• PEAK is based on six keys related the physical and
emotional environment of a school; educational materials
and assessment tools; instructional strategies, style and
techniques
• safety
• success
• love and belonging
• freedom and independence
• fun and enjoyment
• valued purpose
