Coho Cup is named a Governor's WorkStar Employer of the Year
The Coho Cup, a Cook Inlet Tribal Council Welfare to Work/Bridge to Success program, was recently recognized for its outstanding initiative and commitment to welfare reform. Gov. Tony Knowles presented a WorkStar Employer of the Year award to CITC on Nov. 22 at Southcentral Foundation's Primary Care Center.

"It's a true win-win partnership. Businesses get hard-working, committed Alaskans who, in turn, get the opportunity they need to achieve self-sufficiency," Knowles said. "The final ­ and perhaps most important ­ factor in this success is the pride and productivity of Alaskans. Thousands of our neighbors are working very hard to make the transition from welfare to work."
The Coho Cup coffee shops, located in Southcentral Foundation's Primary Care Center and in the CIRI building, strive to strengthen job skills for participants who have been unsuccessful in their job search efforts. The original Coho Cup opened in July 1998 at the Primary Care Center. The project made a profit within six months and net income was used to purchase and establish an additional site in the CIRI building. Data indicates 70 percent of Welfare to Work/Bridge to Success participants have found employment following their Coho Cup work experience. One of the project's first participants, Sunshine Ludecker, is now a full-time manager.

 

Applications Available for Radio Fellowship Program
The Koahnic Broadcast Corporation Training Center Fellowship Program offers the opportunity for three aspiring media professionals to work for a year at Koahnic Broadcast Corporation's Anchorage headquarters. The full-time, paid positions with benefits are designed to increase the number of Native Americans and Alaska Natives working in professional media careers.
Fellows work with the staff of public radio station KNBA 90.3 FM, the country's first urban Native radio station, and alongside the producers of national radio programs National Native News and Native America Calling.

Koahnic developed the Fellowship Program as a response to the low number of Native Americans who find employment in the media or journalism fields. The National Association of Broadcasters refers to Natives in broadcasting as "an endangered species." And a July 1999 survey by the Radio and Television News Directors Association indicates that Native Americans and Alaska Natives constitute less than two percent of radio news staff nationwide, and the number is falling.
"We know from experience that the best way to prepare Native Americans for professional careers in media is by making a long-term commitment to their training," said Jaclyn Sallee, president and CEO of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation.
The application deadline for the Koahnic Broadcast Corporation Training Center Fellowship Program is Jan. 15, 2001. Applications are available on-line at www.knba.org, or an application can be requested by calling Koahnic at (907) 258-8924.

 

Alaska Native Justice Center Receives Grant
The Alaska Native Justice Center received an 18-month Alternatives for Justice Project grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The grant will expand the Justice Center's rural youth court, internship, and restorative justice programs. The Justice Center is currently assisting the Alaska communities of Kotzebue, Tetlin, Craig/Klawock, and Shishmaref with the implementation of Youth Courts in their communities. The program will expand to include three additional rural communities to assist in the development of an innovative youth court model.
The Alaska Native Justice Center will also develop an internship/mentorship program with this grant, placing 12 Alaska Native college seniors or recent college graduates in six- to eight-month internships within the justice system. Denise Morris, president/CEO of the Justice Center, said the Center strives to increase the number of Alaska Natives professionally employed within the justice system.
The third component of the grant will assist with the development and expansion of restorative justice programs. Examples of this alternative justice approach includes circle sentencing and community panels. According to Morris, restorative justice allows communities to address problems at the local level, and, in some cases, provides an alternative to the formal justice system.
For more information on these programs, contact the Alaska Native Justice Center at (907) 278-1122.

 

The CIRI Foundation Promotes Education
The CIRI Foundation offers more than student scholarships. At the Foundation's expanded location, dedicated staff assist with all aspects of education.
The CIRI Foundation's office space at 2600 Cordova Street, Suite 206, in Anchorage, Alaska, has recently grown to more effectively serve CIRI original enrollees and their descendants. The Foundation's expansion has allowed for a small student resource area, including a computer with internet access, copier, catalogs for researching higher education, video tapes, and CD-ROMs from various vocational, technical and four-year colleges. Applicants can also use the student resource area to complete the Foundation's grant/scholarship application or fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form on-line.
Along with the expanded facility, The CIRI Foundation offers a staff committed to helping all students succeed in their post-secondary education endeavors. The Foundation encourages students to look for funding from all possible sources. Even if the applicant discovers he or she is not eligible for The CIRI Foundation funding, it should not be a stopping point. "The internet is a powerful tool for researching funding opportunities," said Paneen Petersen, program officer at The CIRI Foundation. According to Kathy Wright, office manager, the forms involved with applying for funding are often intimidating, but the staff at the Foundation is more than willing to guide applicants through the application process.
The CIRI Foundation also provides the valuable support Native students need to complete their educational goals. "It's important to have someone else excited about your education," said Crystal Batt, receptionist.
The CIRI Foundation publishes an Education Resource Handbook providing career and education planning information for the Foundation's Native beneficiaries as well as for other Alaska Natives and Native Americans. The book contains guidelines for and tips on preparing to attend a post-secondary education program, including financial aid opportunities and reference materials about other educational support services. For more information, call (907) 263-5582, toll-free (800) 764-3382, or find information on-line at www.ciri.com/tcf/.
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