Unalaska, AK – Teachers, volunteers, and elders are preparing to teach Unangan culture classes to elementary school students in Unalaska. The after school program will be taught in four week blocks. Each grade, from first through fourth, will participate separately four times a week for the 35 minute long sessions. Thus far, class topics include traditional uses of plants and traditional Unangan design. Sharon Svarny-Livingston is one of the class leaders. She's encouraging elders and volunteers to help out with the program.

"I intend to bring elders into the classroom. I don't want to be the only one there because I actually learned from the elders what I'm going to be teaching so I appreciate it when they're going to be there to off their little tidbits of knowledge."

She says the program is important for students of all backgrounds.

"Introducing children to different cultures when their young just allows them to accept all different types of cultures," she says. "That's one of the reasons I wanted this to continue, in any way, form, or fashion."

Unangan culture classes used to be taught in the school, but they lost funding four years ago. The after school program was created with new funding from the school district and the Ounalashka Corporation. City Council member Katherine McGlashan was one of the parents who pushed to restart the program after speaking with legislators last year.

"A senator asked me, 'Do you have a culture program in your school system for your children?' And I had to look away and say, 'No.' And I was just really sad."

The program gets underway this fall and is still seeking volunteers and teachers. Contact the school district for more information.