Category: Uncategorized

Guests:
Nancy Wold

Topic:
Nancy Wold, an IDEA Homeschool parent, shares her unique perspective of capturing IDEA and IGrad’s graduation ceremonies from behind the camera lens. Since 2015, she has photographed and witnessed hundreds of Seniors celebrate and capture memories with their families. In this episode, you’ll learn about the things that makes the graduation ceremony so unique!

Guest Biography:
Nancy has been with IDEA since the year after it began and has homeschooled her 7 children all through their elementary, middle school and high school years.  She has photographed the commencement ceremonies since 2015.  Nancy appreciates the flexibility that IDEA has afforded her for picking curriculum to meet her homeschoolers needs.   Plus she is grateful for the guidance and accountability of the contact teachers.

Episode Sponsor:
IDEA and iGrad Alaska Graduates

Resource Links:
Wold Portraiture LLC
http://woldportraiture.com/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:33 — 13.1MB)

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Guests:

Naomi Winters

Topic:

On this episode, Lindsay and Galena Interior Learning Academy’s (GILA) Principal, Naomi Winters, share their mutual love for career and technical education. Naomi talks about the community of Galena and how they converted a military base into a boarding school in rural Alaska. One of the state’s only career and technical education boarding schools, GILA offers CTE programs in Aviation, Cosmetology, Health Sciences, Education, STEM careers, Culinary and more! Along with sports and clubs, GILA also houses an Olympic-size swimming pool! Listen to learn how you can enroll for the 2024-2025 school year.

Guest Biography:

Naomi Winters is the Principal of Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA). Originally from Colorado, she has been in education for 15 years. Naomi and her husband, Jake, GILA’s PE teacher, are pleased to be celebrating their third year in Galena.

Mrs. Winters was a special education teacher for most of her career and has spent time as a classroom teacher and taught at a residential treatment center.  She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and a Graduate Certificate in Educational leadership.  Mrs. Winters also completed the Alaska School Leadership Academy in 2020.

Mrs. Winters fell in love with Alaska when she and her husband moved to a tiny village in the southwest region of Alaska in 2018 where she was the principal and special education teacher. She has seen, firsthand, the need for educational opportunities for rural Alaskan students, and strives to provide as many opportunities as possible for students at GILA.

Episode Sponsor:

GILA Enrollment Department

Resource Links:

Galena Interior Learning Academy

https://www.galenaalaska.org/gila

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:45 — 17.7MB)

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Guests:

Brianna Gravelle

Topic:

IDEA’s virtual and in-person Curriculum Fair is happening in April. In this episode, long-time home schooling mom Brianna Gravelle talks about her multiple experiences at the Anchorage Curriculum Fair. Podcast host, Lindsay Pinkelman talks about her experience at the Fairbanks Curriculum Fair and together they share all of the ways you can use the Whova app to best experience the virtual Curriculum Fair. This really is Alaska’s best homeschool Curriculum Fair!

Guest Biography:

Brianna Gravelle has been an Alaskan resident for over 20 years and has a long history homeschooling with IDEA that started as student in her teens. She has dedicated herself to schooling her three children, boys aged 3 and 5, and daughter 13, since 2020. She is passionate about supporting our IDEA community, helping it to grow!

In addition to her commitment to her children’s education, Brianna actively engages with the homeschooling community as a member of the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for the past three years. Currently serving as the Social Media Secretary, she utilizes her skills to connect with fellow homeschooling families and share valuable resources.  She also attended the PAC retreat in Fairbanks this year, representing our MatSu families and working with other regions to present recommendations from parent surveys to the School Board.

Brianna is eagerly anticipating the upcoming IDEA Curriculum Fair in April, an event that holds special significance for her and her family. Having attended the fair for the past four years, Brianna views it as a cornerstone of her homeschooling journey. She eagerly looks forward to attending workshops, socializing with fellow homeschoolers, planning out their next year, and of course spending some of their allotment! For Brianna, the fair is more than just an event—it’s a dynamic platform that has enriched her family’s educational endeavors and fostered a sense of community among her and fellow homeschoolers across Alaska.

Episode Sponsor:

IDEA’s Curriculum Fair Vendors

Resource Links:

IDEA Curriculum Fair

2024 IDEA Curriculum Fair

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:02 — 22.2MB)

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