Fall Conference 2018 – Looking forward to meeting in Skagway!

The Alaska Association of Student Governments is excited to announce that our Fall Conference 2018 will be held September 21-23 at Skagway School in Skagway.

The theme of our Fall Conference is “Gateway to the Future.”

The conference committee at Skagway is working hard to put on another outstanding conference. They are busy organizing community trips, guest speakers, special events and (of course) the conference dance. Vivian Meyer is our conference host. Feel free to contact her at vivianmeyer@skagwayschool.org

For more information on the conference go to their website at: https://sites.google.com/skagwayschool.org/skagwayalaska/home

Elections planned for this conference include all six regional representatives, the ASAA rep and Junior SBEED rep. Students interested in running can find the application forms here.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
2018 Fall Conference Registration Form

• Registration ($130) begins as soon as the website registration link is live.
• Regular Registration ends Tuesday, September 4 at 11:59 pm.
• Late Registration ($150) begins Wednesday, September 5 and ends Wednesday, September 12 at 11:59 pm.
• Electronic Eligibility (for grades, etc) is required by Friday, September 14.
• Substitutions after September 12 will require a $20 change fee.
• No refunds will be issued for cancellations after September 12.

Reminders: Advisors will pay a $90 registration fee and the host school will be able to register up to 20 student conference volunteers at no cost.

CONFERENCE DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

• E-board meeting on Thursday September 20.
• Registration and “ice-breakers” begin at 3:00 pm on Friday, September 21.
• Opening ceremony – 4:00 pm, Friday September 21.
• On Saturday plan on boarding the White Pass and Yukon Railway and exploring Skagway.
• Closing ceremony – 11:30 am, Sunday, September 23. (lunch-on-the-go available at noon)

HOUSING/TRAVEL

Our host school is busy lining up housing for the conference. A list of local hotels,
VRBOs, and B&Bs as well as information on planes, ferries and driving will be made available soon.
Special thanks to our conference sponsors:
• Whitepass and Yukon Route Railway
• Holland America Line & Princess Cruises
• The Days of ’98 Show
• Chilkoot Charters and Tours
• Beyond Skagway Tours
• Alaska Excursions
• Klondike Tours
• GCI
• Skagway City Museum
• Skagway Traditional Council
• Skagway School
• Thunder Mountain High School
• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
• Starfire Thai Restaurant

We’ll see you there!

Interested in hosting a conference?
Conferences are an exciting opportunity for both the students that attend and the schools that host them.

Past conference hosts Anthony Jensen (Wasilla High), Danielle Lewis (Eagle River High), Elizabeth Bender and Lindsey Glenn (Kodiak High), Barbara Petukh Jackson (Mat-Su Career Tech), and Mara Sheakley-Early (Thunder Mountain High) are available to lend support and guidance in your decision to become a conference host school. Host schools will also have the support of the AASG executive board. Our parent organization, the Alaska School Activities Association, has also agreed to forward-fund a portion of your conference, which will help with many of the up-front costs of the conference.

Please go to the Hosting a Conference page for more information and the application form to host an AASG statewide conference.

2019 Spring Conference to be hosted by Bethel Regional High School, April 11-13, 2019.

HEALY — More than 350 students from more than 40 Alaska high schools converged in Healy for the 2018 Alaska Association of Student Governments spring conference, “Winds of Change.”

“Hosting this conference was a great way for our school and borough to share our unique community with student leaders from around the state,” Kassandra Mirosh, advisor for the local student council told the Fairbanks Daily New Miner. “These are the people that will be making decisions about Alaska’s future and it is so important that they have firsthand knowledge of the opportunities and challenges we face here in Denali.”

Visiting students had the opportunity to hike with park rangers in Denali National Park, create works of art with local artists, visit Usibelli coal mine, visit a 13,000-year-old archaeological site, see a working sled dog kennel and even play human-sized foosball.

Highlights from the three-day conference included the election of new officers for the association executive board. New officers include Kali Spencer, Eagle River High School – president; Kyle Hasse, Mat-Su Career and Technical – re-elected as vice president; Makenzie Mirasole, Tri-Valley High School – public relations officer; Alyssa Saylor, Chugiak High School – Treasurer; Angelina Gausnell, Palmer High School – secretary and Jake Wade, North Pole High School – parliamentarian. Each will serve a one-year term on the board.

One of the major functions of AASG conferences is for the general assembly to hear and vote on proposed resolutions. Thirteen resolutions were passed at the Tri-Valley conference on topics ranging from local issues, such as supporting the establishment of a community recreation center in Healy, to statewide issues that included requiring the passing of a CPR course for graduation and revising the state’s anti-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Passed resolutions are then forwarded to the appropriate school or governing body for consideration.

The next two AASG conferences were also announced. The fall 2018 conference will be hosted by Skagway High School, September 21-23, and the spring 2019 conference will be hosted by Bethel Regional High School, April 11-13, 2019.

Our thanks again to everyone at Tri-Valley High School and the community of Healy for making this conference such a success!

The National Student Council Conference showcases of dozens of outstanding international speakers, delves into great service experiences, and gives time to make friends with students from all over the world. You can go to NASC next year. Go to www.nasc.us to learn more.