This Giving Tuesday, create smiles on kids faces for miles by giving them the gift of learning outside. Your contribution will help us transport Alaskan youth to one-of-a kind education programs in the wild landscapes of our state’s only National Heritage Area.

The benefits of field trips for students have long been documented. They enhance learning beyond classroom walls, foster growth, and connect students to the world around them. Yet many kids face significant barriers to participating in these impactful experiences. In Southcentral Alaska, one of the biggest challenges is simply getting to them. With massive shortages in school bus drivers and growing budget deficits, field trip funding and transportation has become severely limited. While private charter buses can be used as school bus alternatives, the associated costs are often prohibitive for many schools who lack robust financial resources. As a result, the diverse array of experiential programs in the Heritage Area have only been available to a small slice of Alaskan students. We want to change that.

As a historic transportation corridor, we understand the importance of being able to get where you need to go. We also believe that all students deserve to participate in out-of-classroom learning experiences, especially throughout our Heritage Area which is rich with opportunities for kids. It is out of this belief that our Transportation Equity Initiative (TEI) was conceived.