A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp
Mixing Math, Science and Fun

By Deborah Rush
With Barbra Wakshul

How do you get seventh and eighth graders to love math and science? How do you help them enrich their communities, take pride in their Native heritage and become leaders and teachers for Alaska's next generation, all at the same time? Part of the answer is the Alaska Native Student Wilderness Enrichment Retreat or A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp. A unique blend of academics and culture now in its third summer, A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp is sponsored by the South East Regional Resource Center (SERRC) in Juneau, the Louden Tribal Council and Galena City Schools.

Set near the banks of the Yukon River in Galena, Alaska, last year's A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp successfully "graduated" 300 Native students from 69 different communities throughout rural Alaska. That number is almost double the enrollment figure from the first year of the program in 1998. Coming from as far away as Barrow, the Pribilof Islands, Ketchikan and Kodiak, students spend one week of intense, hands-on instruction and field work learning the principles, art and even the "slime" of every day math and science.
Relevance to the community and tribal culture is key; teamwork and fun is essential. "A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp's purpose is to excite kids to go into their village high schools with a better understanding and attitude about math and science," says Patrick Henry, coordinator of the program and one of A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp's masterminds. "The trick," he continues, "is to teach how academic science works in their daily routines as rural Native kids in Alaska." The ultimate goal is providing them with the tools to be successful in high school science and math. It is hoped that some will even consider a career in those areas.

The Environment as Classroom
A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp differs significantly from othermath or science classes. The classroom is larger—it includes the Yukon River, the Galena City dump, a working fish camp, birch woods, a gymnasium, local industries and a campground, as well as computer and science labs. What students learn is another difference. Instead of memorizing equations, these 12-to 14-year olds learn the how and the why of making ulus, birch baskets and traditional stoves, of smoking fish, measuring river currents, composting, tying knots and making nets. They learn how to construct buildings, make kaleidoscopes and pinhole cameras, and even create mosquito repellent and moisturizers. In an afternoon class called "Slime," students experiment with a variety of materials to create, feel, measure, compare and store any number of handmade varieties of food-colored cornstarch and water. Although this might sound like a kid's greatest fantasy, the ultimate byproduct is the teaching of basic fundamentals of chemistry and math. "Before I came here, I thought science was numbers and molecules," says former camper Ritchie Guthrie, Tlingit, from Ketchikan, "but now I know it is much more, and more fun."
If being excited about science is the goal, A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp's unique approach works. According to student Melanie Bean, Yupiik, of St. Mary's, "Western math and science are different from the Native way, but mixing them together makes understanding a lot easier." Unalakleet resident Christopher Masters, Inupiat, says he became more interested in both math and science "because I learned that you're using science every day without even knowing it."

The Camp Day
A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp students are taught five different project based classes that incorporate math, chemistry, physics and biology, with special emphasis on team-building and cultural signifi- cance. Local specialists in academics and cultural traditions lead each class, including recognized teachers of science, Native student learning, special education, technology and outdoor education. Native elders lead morning "inspirations" while Alaska Native college students serve as counselors. "The counselors play a really significant role," claims Patrick Henry, "not just as mentors and role models but as a cultural and generational link to the kids." This is especially important since many students have never been outside their villages before; for some a trip to the local store is a brand new experience.
Students begin their days with advice, support and encouragement from village Elders, while evenings are spent playing basketball or performing traditional dances. Exposure to other Alaska Native cultures, new people and a new setting replace time that might otherwise be spent watching television, eating junk food or shopping.

Behind the Scenes
A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp was born in 1997 in an effort to link Western science and math with traditional Native applications of practical skills. It was designed by SERRC to address the problems that Alaska Native high school students statistically display in math and science. SERRC applied for, and received, a three-year U.S. Department of Education grant that has paid for students' transportation, tuition and all camp costs.
Five week-long sessions were organized for each year of the program, with room for 60 students in each session. Students of all abilities, including those physically challenged, have been recruited via schools and Native organizations throughout Alaska. A toll-free number was set up to encourage students who could not apply in writing. The process has been highly selective— candidates have had to be nominated by school faculty, tribal councils, parents, community members or other students before the formal application process has begun. To be selected, students have all had to write an essay describing why they wanted to attend A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp and what they wanted to learn; a community mentor also recommended each applicant.

Reflections from an Alumnus   Sixteen-year-old Chelsea Ryan, Inupiat, participated in A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp's first and second seasons. Never having been to a "school-related camp," Chelsea had no idea what was in store for her when she applied and was accepted. Once camp began, it didn't take Chelsea long to realize that she had embarked on an adventure that would change her life. A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp helped her with her math and science skills and "made me a focused student," she asserted, as she remembered back to her two summers in the program. "In sixth and seventh grades," she continued, "I didn't understand a lot of what was going on and I was too shy to ask questions. After A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp, I knew it was okay to ask questions no matter what the questions were, and (at A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp) there were always answers."   Chelsea's self-confidence increased as did her interest in science and math as a result of her participation in A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp. "Teachers always brought the natural world into the classroom," she remembered, "and they used plants and read ancient stories to get science experiments started." One experiment involved figuring out whether whale, bear, or other sea animal oil burned the longest. When asked for her conclusion, she laughingly replied, "Crisco!" Another experiment entailed working with different woods for smoking fish, to see which would burn longest and which would give the best flavor.   When asked what she liked best about A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp, Chelsea was quick to respond with "the other people!"She found the teachers "laid back"and "easy to communicate with"and the counselors "so cool—just like us!"Chelsea also ranked learning more about her heritage as an Alaska Native as one of the top aspects of the program.   Last summer, Chelsea had the opportunity to spend two weeks as an assistant at the A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp in Palmer, Alaska. She considered this a "real privilege" and appreciated the input she was able to have in the running of the camps.   Thanks to her experiences at A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp, Chelsea has become so excited by biology that she is thinking about a career in marine biology or forensic pathology. And her advice to anyone thinking of applying to A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp? "Kids are sometimes too scared to apply because they're afraid of being rejected. I just tell them to go ahead and apply—you'd be really surprised at how fun and easy it is."

	A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp students making traditional birch bark baskets.

A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp student assessing a scientific experiment.

Impact and Future Directions
With the initial grant ending after this year's camp season, A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp's directors will be hard at work reapplying to continue the program. Both Patrick Henry and Sheryl Weinberg, project director, are convinced that substantial positive gains have been achieved in participants' attitudes towards math and science. Pre-and post-interviews with a sampling of students who have attended A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp indicate a positive impact on classroom learning and behavior. The final lesson for A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp participants has always come after they've returned home, when, as "science ambassadors," they have been asked to give a presentation to a local group demonstrating the skills learned at camp. Completion of that task earns each camper a small ceramic moose figure, a "moitie" in the Tlingit language, to add to four otheranimal figures earned in different study areas during A.N.S.W.E.R. Camp.

Deborah Rush has been the public information coordinator and web master of the Alaska Regional Assistance Center in Juneau, Alaska since 1997. Her articles and book reviews have appeared in various Alaska and California publications.

Barbra Wakshul is marketing director and careers/business editor for Winds of Change magazine.