Alaska Resource Education Celebrates Beki Toussaint’s 10-year Anniversary
resource industry, especially ones that are typically male dominated. At the end of the semester, the group took a week-long field trip across the state of Alaska to view mine and energy sites. Often known as “The Rock Lady” to students, they light up when Beki walks into the room knowing they are about to have fun while learning. Kids and teachers across Alaska can attest to the effectiveness of ARE’s hands-on approach. Quotes from student thank you cards and emails say it best: n “Miss Beki is an amazing science teacher, and she makes learning very fun! We love science!” — Third- grader n “You guys did a fantastic job - they came home talking about mining, where minerals are used, power sources and more. I am so impressed by, and thankful for, what you guys offered to the community!!” — Parent of STEM camp participant n “It makes me feel inspired, honestly, because growing up, like seeing Bob the Builder and all these boys in this industry was showing me I can’t do that, and this class inspired me a lot.” — High school girl in POWR class Thank you, Beki, for your years of dedication, hard work, and never-ending passion for teaching ARE’s important mission!
In August, Alaska Resource Education celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Program Director Beki Toussaint. Since 2012, Beki has taught more than 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers statewide about Alaska’s natural resources. From the North Slope to Red Dog Mine in the Northwest Arctic, to Usibelli Coal Mine in the interior, and Greens Creek and Kensington Mines in Southeast, Beki has led the way in educating students about the importance of our resources and the associated careers available to them. During her tenure, Beki has expanded ARE’s curriculum to include numerous new lessons, an entire high school course, and two new teacher courses. Beki now leads ARE’s team of four educators. ARE’s reach has grown significantly with the addition of new staff, with the ability to reach far more students across the state. Additionally, the team focuses more on long-term partnerships with schools and teachers, teaching multi- week units to cover ARE’s comprehensive curriculum in minerals, energy, and renewables. One of the highlights of 2022 has been the Powerful Opportunities for Women in Resources program. POWR is a nine-week-long class held at King Tech for girls in grades nine through 12. The curriculum educates female students about the careers available in the natural
18
September 2022 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease