Alaska Native communities face an uphill battle in trying to engage their youth in traditional languages and arts. A major focus of my AmeriCorps service was the integration of media and Yupik dance as a means of fostering greater cultural involvement among Yupik teens.

Our dance group created music videos for our songs, and used these videos as fundraising tools. We ultimately raised enough money to perform in Western Europe, where we participated in cultural exchanges with prominent dance academies in Rotterdam and Paris.