We’d like to introduce you to Craig Fox, an AmeriCorps STEM volunteer at JEDC and spectacular member of the Coalition. He co-created What’s Going On in This Alaska Graph? with Brenda through the STEM Coalition and is now returning to Philadelphia to be a high school science teacher.
What brought you to Juneau? I had just graduated college and was looking for an opportunity to make a positive impact and try something different. I spent my whole life on the East Coast so someplace out West seemed interesting. When I came across this AmeriCorps posting, I knew it would be a great opportunity to use my skillset to help the community and expose myself to new experiences.
What are some things that you’ve learned in this last year that you might not have learned back in Philadelphia? Community-based education is not something that is commonly talked about in Philly. I am amazed by how much educators integrate the environment into their activities in Juneau. Students seem more engaged when they are talking about things that they have a stronger connection to. It is something I hope to incorporate into my work going forward.
What opportunities do you see that Juneau / the Juneau STEM Coalition could be developing – for educators, families, students and/or community members? What natural synergies would you recommend building upon? I think one of the main struggles is how to get kids who do receive a strong education from K-12 to stay in Juneau and use that education. If they decide they want to go to college, they are very limited in terms of schools and programs if they want to stay in Southeast or even Alaska as a whole. If they decide they don’t want to go to college, there are few clear and accessible avenues for them to continue learning skills while contributing back to Juneau.
From your insider/outsider perspective, what ideas or message would you leave to the STEM Coalition / Juneau? I think it is easy to forget how unique Juneau is when you live here. There are very few places that have so much going on in such a small location. There are large organizations in science, Alaska Native culture, politics, and the environment all located here. I think fully utilizing all the knowledgeable people in the community is the best way for Juneau to have a successful future.
What surprised you about Juneau? How tight knit the community is! I love how everyone knows each other here. It was a new experience for me to be constantly running into people I knew at the grocery store, during community events, and when walking around downtown. Also despite all the warnings, I was still not prepared for how much rain there is.
Why are you leaving Juneau? Would you come back and, if yes, what would draw you back? Housing costs are a huge challenge with being early in your career and living in Juneau. It can also be a bit concerning to be in the education field with how Alaska’s education funding has been recently. I am very interested in coming back to Juneau; an interesting job opportunity to make a large impact on the community would be a huge factor.
What have been some of your favorite experiences in Juneau and Alaska? There have been way too many to count. I really enjoyed a lot of Juneau’s local traditions. Recently the fireworks for fourth of July was a good one. There was so much energy and I was not expecting how much the fireworks echo in the mountains. Hiking out to the glacier and having bonfires with friends were also memorable experiences. Outside of Juneau, I really enjoyed going to Utqiagvik during the winter and eating muktuk.