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DARPA’s LIFT Challenge, Promising Transformative Impact for the Last Frontier

Todd M Lindley
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DARPA’s LIFT Challenge, Promising Transformative Impact for the Last Frontier

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched the LIFT Challenge to redefine aerial capabilities, inviting innovators to design drones that can lift payloads exceeding four times their own weight. Weighing no more than 55 pounds, these aircraft must haul at least 110 pounds over a 5-nautical-mile course, targeting breakthroughs in vertical lift for military logistics, disaster relief, and civilian applications like infrastructure inspections and remote deliveries. With $6.5 million in prizes and live trials slated for summer 2026, the competition echoes DARPA’s history of fostering ingenuity through high-stakes contests.

Alaska, with its vast, rugged terrain and remote communities, stands as a natural proving ground, linking the LIFT initiative to a rich tapestry of past drone efforts. The state has long been at the forefront of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) innovation, serving as one of the FAA’s original test sites through the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Previous DARPA endeavors, such as the 2020 Launch Challenge held at Kodiak Island’s Pacific Spaceport Complex, demonstrated Alaska’s role in rapid-response aerospace testing. Locally, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has pioneered programs like the ARROW initiative, which deploys drones for ice road monitoring and search-and-rescue in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, and the DART program for avalanche control using explosive-dropping UAS. Recent tests, including drone docking systems in Juneau and the $12.4 million SOAR grant for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, have built resilience in extreme conditions.

The LIFT Challenge could profoundly alter Alaska’s landscape by enabling heavier-lift drones to deliver supplies to isolated villages, monitor critical infrastructure, and bolster emergency responses amid wildfires or floods.

As registration opens in early 2026, competitors will be submitting their FAA certifications and drone concepts in preparation for the summer demo. The location has not been set for where the competition will take place.

Protect Alaska’s Children: Task Force Dawnbreaker Brings 16 Child Sexual Abusers to Justice 

Natalie Spaulding
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18
Protect Alaska’s Children: Task Force Dawnbreaker Brings 16 Child Sexual Abusers to Justice 

This year, Task Force Dawnbreaker has charged a total of 16 individuals with child sexual abuse crimes: 6 Mat-Su residents, 2 Fairbanks residents, 1 Kodiak resident, 1 Anchorage resident, 1 Kenai resident, 1 Juneau resident, and 4 residents of the Metlakatla Indian Community. 

Task Force Dawnbreaker is comprised of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation’s Technical Crimes Unit (ABI TCU), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and relevant local police departments. The task force focuses on cracking major child sexual abuse cases. 

On December 11, Dawnbreaker arrested Wasilla resident Ryan McDonough and charged him with 10 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. McDonough worked as a prominent cardiologist and was appointed to the Alaska State Medical Board. He resigned from the Alaska State Medical Board in November. 

This past weekend, after McDonough was released on a $50,000 bail, McDonough’s home was destroyed in a fire. Troopers found a dead man, believed to be Ryan McDonough, inside the home after the fire was extinguished. The body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for positive identification and autopsy. All other residents of the home are safe. 

Below is a full list of the child sexual abuse crimes cracked by Task Force Dawnbreaker in 2025: 

November 13: Terry Stiefel of Fairbanks is indicted on 3 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Stiefel had downloaded CSAM at his place of residence and at the Clear Air Force Station, his place of employment.

October 14: Joseph Baxter of Sutton is charged with 2 counts of CSAM Distribution and 2 counts of CSAM Possession. Baxter was accused of soliciting sexually explicit images and sexual contact of an 11-year-old girl.

Sept 23: Raymond Titus of Fairbanks is charged with 3 counts of CSAM Possession. Troopers arrested Titus after receiving numerous tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Fairbanks resident had uploaded CSAM to a website.

June 10: Jason Keller of Wasilla is charged with Attempted Sexual Abuse of a Minor II, Distributing Indecent Material to a Minor, Exploitation of a Minor, and Tampering with Evidence. Keller had solicited a 13-year-old girl for intercourse and distributed explicit images to her.

May 24: Justen Walker of Wasilla is charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor II. After fleeing and going into hiding for 6 days, AST South Central SWAT and the Wasilla Police Department found and arrested Walker for inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl.

May 15: Justine Anderson of Ouzinkie is charged with 5 counts of CSAM Possession. Dawnbreaker arrested Anderson after investigating the distribution of over 70 CSAM videos from an Ouzinkie residence.

May 5: Robert Campbell of Anchorage is charged with 1 count of CSAM Distribution and 5 counts of CSAM Possession. Campbell was found in possession of thousands of CSAM files.

April 22: Vernon Hinkle of Wasilla is charged with 10 counts of CSAM Possession, Distribution of CSAM, and Distribution of Indecent Material to a Minor. After receiving a report from a United Kingdom law enforcement agency, Dawnbreaker identified Hinkle as a user on a social media platform who was attempting to exploit underage minors.

March 26: Dakota J. Conner of Soldotna is charged with 5 counts of CSAM possession and 5 counts of CSAM distribution. Conner was identified as a Kik user who uploaded approximately 45 videos containing CSAM.

March 15: Nithaniel Hall of Wasilla is charged with 10 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Hall was arrested for online sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old girl living in Moore, Oklahoma.

Feb 27: Taylor Funderburk of Juneau is charged with Possession of Child Pornography, Distribution of Child Pornography, and Violating Conditions of Release. Dispatch text did not provide any additional details of the case.

Feb 2-6: Task Force Dawnbreaker worked with many organizations to conduct a massive investigation of alleged child sexual abuse crimes committed in the Metlakatla Indian Community. Metlakatla is located on the Annette Islands and is the only Indian Reserve in Alaska. Four individuals were arrested and charged: James Leif Caspersen with second- and third-degree Assault, fourth-degree Assault, and fourth-degree Criminal Mischief; Byron Hayward with third- and fourth-degree Assault, and third-degree Criminal Mischief; Harry Olsen with second- and third-degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor; and Caleb Jametski with Distribution and Possession of CSAM.

The Metlakatla investigation was a five-day operation in which 22 children were interviewed. The investigation was assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard, Metlakatla Indian Community members, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Law Office of Special Prosecutions, the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Tundra Women’s Coalition, The Children’s Place, WISH, AWARE, and S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center.

Justice for American Heroes: Alaska Congressional Delegation Ensures Vietnam Vets Receive Promised Native Land Allotments

Natalie Spaulding
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Justice for American Heroes: Alaska Congressional Delegation Ensures Vietnam Vets Receive Promised Native Land Allotments

Alaska Natives who served overseas during the Vietnam war came home to discover they had missed the deadline to receive their 160-acre land allotment. In 1971, The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANSCA) repealed the 1906 law granting 160 acres to Alaska Natives who could prove, as head of household, that they maintained “substantially continuous use and occupancy of that land for a period of five years.”

Many Alaska Natives served in the military during the Vietnam War, which spanned two decades from 1955 to 1975. In fact, Native Americans, including Alaskan Natives, serve in the U.S. military at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in America. Sullivan states: “These are great heroes, and they served at higher rates in Vietnam. You go into an Alaskan Native village and ask, ‘how many veterans do we have?’ Almost every male in the village raises their hand.”

Senator Sullivan championed the Alaska Native Vietnam Land Allotment Program, which President Trump signed into law in 2019. The program works to ensure all Native Alaskan veterans who missed the land allotment deadline because they were serving overseas can still receive their allotment. The 2019 bill allowed 5 years for implementation.

On December 16, 2025, the Senate passed a 5-year extension of the program. The extension became necessary due to the Biden administration Department of Interior’s (DOI) decision to postpone key steps allowing implementation of the program. DOI cited the need for additional environmental analysis as the cause of delay.

Although Congresswoman Deb Haaland assured Senator Sullivan twice prior to her confirmation as Secretary of the Interior that she would “expedite the application process in granting these allotments to these Vietnam vets,” she did not keep her promise. Two months into her tenure, she placed a 2-year freeze on the program. During his speech to the Senate on Dec 16, Sullivan fumed over Haaland’s “blatant– I am still mad about it– disregard for her commitment she made to me.”

The program was due to expire this year but has now been extended another five years.

Senate Passes 5-Year Extension for Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment ProgramDownload

US Advances AI in K-12 Education, Drawing Lessons from El Salvador’s Groundbreaking Partnership

Todd M Lindley
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US Advances AI in K-12 Education, Drawing Lessons from El Salvador’s Groundbreaking Partnership

As part of America’s AI Action Plan, the United States is ramping up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into K-12 education, aiming to equip the next generation with essential skills for a tech-driven future. The plan, outlined in a comprehensive White House document, calls for public-private partnerships to develop AI literacy resources, update curricula, and train educators through federal grants and programs like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This includes promoting AI in career and technical education, dual enrollment for high school students, and apprenticeships in AI-related fields, ensuring early exposure to foster innovation and critical thinking.

The emphasis on K-12 AI education is central to the US AI Action Plan because it addresses workforce readiness amid an “information revolution,” where AI is seen as a tool to boost productivity, create jobs, and maintain global competitiveness. By demystifying AI, the initiative prepares students to responsibly harness technologies that could reshape industries, from medicine to manufacturing, while countering challenges like job displacement through retraining.

“The goal in all of our AI education efforts is to demystify these amazing technologies,” said OSTP Director Michael Kratsios during a recent White House task force meeting. “If America’s families, young people, and educators know how AI works, then they can understand what the technology is good at, and good for, and what it’s bad at, and bad for, and why.”

El Salvador serves as a compelling test case for AI’s educational potential. Through a partnership with xAI, the Central American nation is deploying the Grok AI chatbot in over 5,000 public schools, providing personalized tutoring to more than 1 million students over the next two years. This nationwide program bridges educational gaps by offering tailored learning experiences, accelerating student progress, and enhancing outcomes in underserved areas. Benefits include reduced administrative burdens for teachers, improved engagement, and scalable access to high-quality instruction, demonstrating how AI can democratize education.

Strategically, this aligns with US priorities by highlighting AI’s role in national security and economic dominance. Winning the AI race ensures the US sets global standards, outpaces adversaries like China, and secures breakthroughs that enhance prosperity and innovation. By learning from models like El Salvador’s, America can solidify its leadership in an AI-powered world.

Americas-AI-Action-Plan (1)Download

Alaska’s First Commercial Fishing Boat Hybrid Prepares to Hit the Water 

Natalie Spaulding
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21
Alaska’s First Commercial Fishing Boat Hybrid Prepares to Hit the Water 

Jeff Turner’s Mirage prepares to launch from the Sitka Marine, marking history as the state’s first commercial fishing boat hybrid. 

The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) has been working to hybridize Alaska’s fishing fleets since receiving a grant from the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technology Office (VTO) in 2021. From 2021-2023, ALFA partnered with the National Research Energy Laboratory to “identify that the viable next step is a hybrid diesel/electric boat.” 

On October 3, 2023, ALFA announced that they had received a $700,000 grant from the Department of Energy for furthering their commercial fleet conversion project. The project became known as the “ALFA Boat Energy Transition Accelerator (BETA)” project. 

According to the press release, the ALFA BETA project “aligns with ALFA’s mission to address climate change and decarbonize the seafood industry.” Although ALFA focuses on addressing environmental concerns, ALFA also highlights that hybridization “offer[s] economic benefits to fishermen and mariculturists. The adoption of advanced propulsion technologies will reduce operational costs and increase fleet performance.” 

Regardless of opinion on environmental impact, Alaskan fishermen face pressing financial concerns that motivate some to implement modernized technology. According to Ben Matthys, who has been working on installing the hybrid engine in Mirage: “The margins for fishing are getting tighter. The price per pound of what people can market the fish for, or what’s purchased at the plant, is lower, and fuel and all operating costs are higher… So as we move forward to the next options to save and become more profitable, this is it.” 

The original plan in 2023 was to install a Transfluid clutch, electric motor, and batteries on Eric Jordan’s troller, the I Gotta. However, Jordan withdrew his vessel for personal reasons. ALFA sought a new vessel for its project and decided on Jeff Turner’s Mirage.  

According to Chandler Kemp, the project’s Energy Efficiency Consultant: “The percent fuel savings will be lower for an operating profile like the Mirage than for the I Gotta.” However, he estimates approximately 20 percent fuel savings for the Mirage plus reduced wear and tear on the main engine. 

The boat’s owner, Jeff Turner, explains his thought-processing for volunteering his vessel for the project: “Hybridization, for me, started with, ‘Oh my god, I’m spending so much on fuel. There’s got to be a better way. This grant money came up and there was interest…I raised my hand and said, ‘I’ll try this.” 

After the Mirage hits the water, a gillnetter from Juneau will receive an electric propulsion system and a Kodiak mariculture vessel will be converted to fully electric. 

RCA Probe ENSTAR’s Gas Cost Hike Amid Subsidization Fears

Todd M Lindley
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7
RCA Probe ENSTAR’s Gas Cost Hike Amid Subsidization Fears

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) opened an investigation into ENSTAR Natural Gas Company’s proposed gas cost adjustment (GCA) increase earlier this year, stemming from concerns over potential cross-subsidization linked to a special contract with Homer Electric Association (HEA). ENSTAR filed tariff revision TA355-4 on May 15, 2025, seeking to raise the GCA from $9.0716 to $10.1091 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, citing higher gas purchase prices and storage costs. The case, docketed as U-25-021, was triggered by RCA’s prior approval of ENSTAR’s contract with HEA in February 2025, where regulators worried that treating HEA as a gas sales customer could burden other consumers with costs tied to HEA’s supply needs, especially amid declining Cook Inlet gas volumes.

The commission suspended the filing on June 30, 2025, and later vacated interim approval, issuing detailed questions in orders dated August 13 and October 16, 2025. Key inquiries focused on whether to include HEA in the GCA created subsidies (estimated by RCA at up to $13.6 million annually for 2025-2026 and $78.8 million over five years thereafter) and if a separate GCA for HEA was warranted to prevent undue preferences.

ENSTAR responded on September 12 and November 6, 2025, asserting no unreasonable subsidization occurred, as HEA’s inclusion spreads fixed costs, benefiting all customers by reducing average consumer bills. The company disputed RCA’s subsidy calculations, arguing they relied on flawed assumptions like inflated gas prices, and opposed a separate GCA, citing tariff requirements for uniform rates. “Inclusion of HEA increases GCA by $0.013/Mcf or 0.1%, but this is reasonable under tariff and law,” ENSTAR stated in its filing.

Several entities intervened: the Attorney General’s Regulatory Affairs and Public Advocacy Section (RAPA) on October 20, HEA on October 27, Tesoro Alaska Company on October 30, and Chugach Electric Association on October 30.

As of December 16, 2025, the case remains active with a public hearing underway through December 19 in Anchorage. A final order is due by February 9, 2026, amid ongoing scrutiny of Alaska’s energy costs.

Alaska Legislative Budget and Audit Committee Receives “Key Issues” Report on Alaska LNG Project

Natalie Spaulding
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9
Alaska Legislative Budget and Audit Committee Receives “Key Issues” Report on Alaska LNG Project

December 12, GaffneyCline Energy Advisory submitted the final draft of “Key Issues: Legislative and Policy Options for Alaska LNG” to the Alaska Legislative Budget and Audit (LB&A) Committee.

GaffneyCline is a subsidiary of the Baker Hughes Company, a global company who owns and operates businesses specializing in the energy sector. LB&A requested the report from GaffneyCline to help legislators better understand the financial, economic, and regulatory issues associated with the Alaska LNG project. The report is the latest in a long list of materials requested by LB&A from various hired consultants.

According to the report, key inputs such as “capital cost estimates, gas supply arrangements, degree of federal support, and other important parameters” are not yet known. GaffneyCline admits, “It is not yet possible to set out a definitive picture of what steps may be required of the legislature in the coming months.” However, the report posits that “with over 170 LNG export facilities in 22 exporting countries, there is a considerable body of experience from which Alaska can draw and helps to provide guidance on what may be expected.”

The single most significant hurdle for the project identified by the report is the high capital and risk of cost inflation. Despite multiple budget assessments over the years, cost estimations have only been conducted at a Class V3 level, producing only a preliminary, highly uncertain estimation.

The Executive Summary of the report proposes two action steps for developing a “definitive package of enabling legislation and fiscal framework for the project:”

  1. A detailed economic model of the project is required before the legislature can take an informed view as to the appropriate degree of government take that the project can sustain, and how this could evolve over time.
  1. Given the likely involvement of federal government agencies in the evolution of the project, the degree of federal support and fiscal stimulus (if any) could also materially influence how the Alaska legislature approaches its own fiscal policy towards AK LNG.

GaffneyCline then details various economic considerations and market details related to the steps the Alaska Legislature needs to pursue to continue the project.

The report concludes: “The AK LNG project and associated gas pipeline is one of the most ambitious gas infrastructure projects ever attempted globally and would require resolution of a host of complex commercial, technical and logistical features to come to fruition. However, if fiscal and related terms are set appropriately, the impact on the State economy could be very material, especially in the medium to long term as profitability increases.”

Key-Issues_Legislative-Policy-Options-for-Alaska-LNG-GaffneyCline-FINAL-COPY-issued-December-2025Download

Restoring Alaska’s Constitutional Grand Jury Power Is Common Sense

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Restoring Alaska’s Constitutional Grand Jury Power Is Common Sense

By Ed Martin, Jr.

Alaska’s Constitution begins with a simple but demanding truth: “all political power is inherent in the people. All government originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the people as a whole.” These words are not ceremonial. They are instructions.

One of the people’s most important constitutional safeguards is the grand jury. Long before prosecutors or modern courts existed, grand juries served as a direct instrument of citizen oversight— especially when government itself became the subject of concern.

That safeguard has quietly eroded in Alaska.

Under Alaska Constitution Article I, Section 8, and Alaska Criminal Rule 6.1, grand juries possess constitutional authority beyond criminal indictments, including investigation and reporting on matters of public welfare and safety. That recognition honored both history and constitutional design.

Yet today, ordinary citizens cannot meaningfully access an investigative grand jury without first obtaining executive permission. Requests must pass through the Attorney General— a part of the very branch often implicated in matters of public concern. Courts, bound by procedural rules, increasingly decline to engage the constitutional question at all.

The result is a troubling inversion: the people’s oversight mechanism exists in theory, but not in practice.

A right that cannot be exercised is no right at all. A power that cannot be accessed is no power. A Constitution that functions only on paper ceases to function as a governing document.

This is not about personalities or politics. It is about structure.

When all roads to accountability lead through the same institutions that may require scrutiny, independence disappears. That is not how a constitutional republic is designed to operate, and it is precisely why grand juries exist as independent bodies belonging to the people— not as appendages of government.

Article I of the Alaska Constitution does more than list rights. It imposes a duty. When government ceases to function for the common good, the people are not only permitted to act, but they are also obligated to insist on restoration. This is not rebellion. It is constitutional maintenance. Restoration means reopening meaningful citizen access to investigative grand juries, ending exclusive executive gatekeeping, and requiring courts to engage constitutional conflicts openly and on the record.

History offers a warning. Alaska has already seen the consequences of excessive judicial and prosecutorial control over grand juries. Those lessons were learned the hard way and should not be forgotten. Silence in the face of structural erosion is not neutrality; it is consent.

This issue transcends party lines and policy debates. It goes to the heart of whether Alaska remains governed by its Constitution or by institutional convenience. The Constitution was not written to be admired. It was written to be used. When its safeguards are diminished quietly, common sense demands that citizens speak plainly and act lawfully to restore them.

FAQs About the Grand Jury Issue

Q: What is the core issue you are raising?
A: Citizens in Alaska no longer have meaningful access to investigative grand juries without executive permission. That undermines popular sovereignty and the Constitution’s design.

Q: Why does executive gatekeeping matter?
A: Grand juries are meant to be independent of the executive branch. Requiring executive approval to access them defeats their purpose.

Q: Are you accusing judges or prosecutors of wrongdoing?
A: This is not about personal motives. It is about institutional design and constitutional consequences. Systems can fail even absent bad intent by an individual.

Q: What constitutional provisions are implicated?
A: Article I, Sections 1 and 2 (inherent rights and popular sovereignty), and Article I, Section 8 (grand juries).

Q: What do you want changed?
A: Restore meaningful citizen access to investigative grand juries and require courts to engage constitutional questions openly.

Q: Is this a partisan issue?
A: No. Constitutional safeguards protect everyone, regardless of party or ideology.

Q: Why should the public care?
A: Because when citizens lose access to constitutional oversight, government accountability becomes optional.

Q: What role should the legislature play?
A: Ensure that constitutional mechanisms remain accessible and are not nullified by internal rulemaking.

Q: Bottom line?
A: This is not a call for revolution. It is a call for fidelity and the restoration of the Constitution as written.

Ed Martin, Jr. is a retired 50+ year IUOE, General Contractor and long-time Alaskan with a strong belief in the National and State Constitutions and the inherent rights of citizens. He devotes his retirement to investigating Constitutional violation(s) in hopes of protecting the eternal rights of liberty.

Steller Secondary Explores Occult Spirituality with “Witches and Stitches” Intensive 

Natalie Spaulding
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26
Steller Secondary Explores Occult Spirituality with “Witches and Stitches” Intensive 

Steller Secondary, an Anchorage School District choice school, offers students elective short-term intensives twice a year to enhance artistic and experiential learning. This winter, Steller students can sign up for “Witches and Stitches.” The flyer invites student to “choose your own mysticism to explore” and hear from “local guest speakers who will help be our spirit guides on our cosmic journey.” 

The intensives run December 8-18. Some of the intensives on the list give students opportunities to explore specific types of art like dance, pottery, creative writing, and filmmaking. Others like “Basketball with Bob” and “Yoga with Ayme” appeal to students who want to stay active. For science-loving students, there is “Madi’s Solar and Circuits.” For travelers, there is an intensive on Peru, a winter survival class, and “Cooking Around the World with Laura”. 

“Witches and Stitches” is the only class among the 15 intensives that openly promotes a specific spiritual perspective. 

Students in grades 6-12 can elect this course and receive 0.25 credits. Although some of the courses come with fees, “Witches and Stitches” is free. The course promotes occultic practices such as palm reading, tarot cards, astrology, healing crystals, and psychic readings.  

Must Read Alaska reached out to both the Anchorage School District and Stellar Principal Maria Hernandez with the following questions: 
1. What approval process (if any) did Steller have to go through with the district to offer these winter intensives? 
2. How does ASD propose “Witches and Stitches” advance the goals listed here by the district. 
3. How does “witches and stitches” reflect the Mission and Values of Steller/ ASD? 
4. The intensive is taught by Allison. What other subjects does she teach? 
5. How is this course funded? 
6. Does Steller/ ASD recognize the spiritual nature of this course and the spiritual impact it can have on children? How is this spiritual impact conducive to student success? 

Principal Hernandez has not replied to any questions. ASD’s Assistant Director of Communications, Publications, and External Affairs Corey Allen Young provided some answers. 

According to Young, Steller’s intensives are “developed at the school level in alignment with ASD policies. They are reviewed to ensure they support student engagement, creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning. All of which are consistent with ASD’s mission to prepare students for success.”  

Steller explains intensives on their website: “During Intensives, all students engage in project-based, hands-on lived experiences through enrichment opportunities in school and the community. These enrichment opportunities include hiking, camping, theatre, cooking, state and international travel, and more. Students have the option of electing into their own independent intensive study, with school approval.”  

Question #2 of Steller’s FAQs on intensives states: “Is this a mandatory class?  The answer is yes, this is a part of the Steller Secondary curriculum.” Steller did not provide an explanation for how this curriculum furthers district goals. 

Although Young assures, “families may opt their student out of any course and select an alternative option,” Must Read Alaska’s question regarding the inherent spiritual nature of the course remains unanswered. 

In regard to funding, Steller’s Parent Group (SPG) and the Valley Quilters Guild provided funding for “Witches and Stitches.” 

According to SPG’s Bylaws: “the purpose of Steller Parent Group is to enrich the lives of Steller students through the financial support and leadership from all active parents.” SPG raises money for SPG operational expenses, SPG-hosted events and projects, school-hosted events and projects, and grants for intensives and other student programs. 

SPG enables parents to directly shape school curriculum and policy decisions. The Bylaws state: “every one is automatically a member of the Steller Parent Group. Donations are not required for membership. Your participation, your voice, and your vote are all essential to the health and effectiveness of this community group.  All members can bring a proposal, a funding request, or communicate ideas or concerns.” 

Many public schools offer parent groups similar to Steller’s Parent Group. Parents are encouraged to see what avenues for participation their school offers and help determine what subjects should be available for children to explore as part of their public education. 

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