Alaska Public Media © 2025. All rights reserved.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Boarding Schools Offer New Opportunities For Some Families

Regina and Don Johson hold a picture of their family inside their Bethel home. Photo by Angela Denning-Barnes
Regina and Don Johson hold a picture of their family inside their Bethel home. Photo by Angela Denning-Barnes

This time of year, many students at Alaska’s boarding schools are heading home for winter break. Boarding schools have a long and complicated history for Alaska Natives; some blame them for loss of indigenous languages, and some students suffered abuse at schools. But these days, plenty of families choose boarding school as the best option to educate their kids. In the next installment of our series “Being Young in Rural Alaska”, Angela Denning-Barnes speaks with some of those families.

Listen for Full Story