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Participate Online in the Forum of Young Alaskans

Welcome and thank you for joining us! The Forum of Young Alaskans is a rare event, an opportunity to consider the direction of our communities and state, an opportunity to connect, and an opportunity to begin building something larger from the strong voices of Alaska’s youth.

If you are participating at home with us on October 4th, please tune into UATV on your local station or catch the webcast online.

Group Discussion

If you are posting responses from a group discussion at a Forum, scroll past the Self-Guided Process below to “The Discussion” and click on the “Share Your Answer” links to enter the responses from each group’s discussion sheet. For login or other help, see the step-by-step guide to posting group discussion notes.

Self-Guided Process

For those working through these questions independently, the experience may be slightly different but the direction is the same. The process begins with introspection, the consideration of our individual roles and our gut feelings.

If you are following along with UATV, tune in at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 4th, for opening comments and videos. The discussion starts at 1:30 p.m. and there are three 1 hour discussion sessions that cover Alaska’s present, past and future. The Forum ends at 5 p.m.

If you haven’t registered for the discussion area, you will need to do that before posting comments or sharing your thoughts.

Grab a scrap of paper or a notebook. The following questions should be answered quickly, take no more than two minutes on each question to jot down the first things that come to your head. Use a timer if it helps.

Let it all spill out, if nothing is there, just keep writing your thoughts until you get back on track or time is up. Explore tangents, write sloppy, write fast, and pick up the pieces when you’re done.

Once you’ve finished answering all the questions, take a short break before coming back to your questions. What did you come up with? Can it be refined into something more coherent? Try to shape your quick answers into something more presentable and share them in the online discussion area.

When you’re done, poke around in the discussion area a bit and see what others had to say. The things you learn from other participants and the ideas you’ve generated yourself will likely become the foundation for our future.

The Discussion

Alaska’s Present: Service to our communities (1:30 p.m.)

  1. We are here today because we are Alaskans and so we will begin by asking, “What does it mean to be Alaskan?”

    2. [ Share Your Answer ]

  2. We are each a part of a community in the state and our communities face unique and varied challenges. What do you see as the challenges facing your community?

    3. [ Share Your Answer ]

  3. What are you doing and what can you do to address the challenges in your community?

    4. [ Share Your Answer ]

1:20 p.m. Take a break and check out the Live Comments Map - it shows recent comments to these questions posted around the state.

Alaska’s Past: Appreciation for our heritage (2:30 p.m.)

  1. Change can be slight or sudden; it can feel overwhelming or imperceptible; but it is always a constant. How has Alaska changed in your lifetime?

    2. [ Share Your Answer ]

  2. Imagine that you could choose to live at some other time in Alaska History. When would you live and what would you be remembered for today?

    3. [ Share Your Answer ]

  3. Our communities contain a great depth of collective knowledge. Who in your community could you connect with to strengthen your understanding of Alaska’s History?

    4. [ Share Your Answer ]

2:20 p.m. Take a break and check out the Live Comments Map

Alaska’s Future: Our next 50 years and beyond (3:30 p.m.)

  1. Write down every word, thought and image that describes your vision for Alaska’s next 50 years.

    2. [ Share Your Answer ]

  2. The future of Alaska is a responsibility we all share. What can you do to address the challenges in your community and to help create your vision for Alaska’s future?

    3. [ Share Your Answer ]

  3. What topics or questions should be addressed at the Conference of Young Alaskans 2009?

    4. [ Share Your Answer ]

4:30 p.m. Tune into UATV Online to catch the day’s wrap-up by groups from around the state!

The Conference of Young Alaskans

If you’ve completed these questions and want to take the next step, submit an application to the Conference of Young Alaskans. The Conference is a chance to meet face to face with a large group of remarkable young people who have the great honor of representing the youth of Alaska as they work to build plans for the future.