Aleutian Region School District

We are so proud to announce that our Atka National History Day Team consisting of Evelina Snigaroff (grade 5), Anysia Dushkin (grade 6), Nadia Dushkin (grade 8), and Coach Dena Royal received the History of Place Prize on June 15, 2023 in Washington, DC.  The prize is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and awarded to an outstanding entry in any category that documents and analyzes the power of place in American history.  Places are links to the past.  The project explains how the power of place can impact a historical moment. 

The team also received Honorable Mention for their entry that received second place in the first round of judging.  While only first place moves on for the final competition their entry was recognized by NHD as an example of exceptional scholarship. 

This group of young women and their Coach have worked diligently to honor the Unangax culture and ancestors and we could not be more proud.  This was a project of passion and dedication.  We are immensely grateful for Coach Dena Royal for her generosity of time and experience, creativity in educating our next generation, and empowering our students to use their voice to share such an important event in their history.  The hard work and hard truths faced by Evelina, Anysia, and Nadia are to be commended.  We are so proud to have such scholars and this educator representing our district and the state of Alaska.

Welcome to the Aleutian Region School District site. Our school district encompasses the vast and remote areas of western Alaska traditionally and historically inhabited by the Unangax (Aleut) people. We are the westernmost district in the United States with close cultural ties to the original peoples of eastern Russia.

In an effort to truly put the needs of our students first, we have implemented a performance/ mastery based model that focuses on student learning rather than seat time. Our students move at their own pace with access to higher level learning opportunities as they are ready. 

Our students learn not only the key academic skills but also the importance of being a strong and effective local and global citizen in a world that is getting increasingly smaller every day.

Mike Hanley

Superintendent