Yup’ik immersion program supports children displaced by Alaska flooding

Children displaced from western Alaska villages by the remnants of Typhoon Halong are finding stability in a Yup’ik language immersion program in Anchorage, according to the Associated Press. Nearly 700 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged when flooding swept away structures along the Bering Sea, and hundreds of residents were airlifted to Anchorage. The Anchorage School District has enrolled about 170 displaced students, including 71 in the Yup’ik immersion program at College Gate Elementary and Wendler Middle School.

Teachers and administrators told the AP the program has expanded rapidly as evacuees join classes that split instruction between Yup’ik and English. Principal Darrell Berntsen, who greeted families at a Red Cross shelter, encouraged parents to enroll their children to help them adjust. Students described learning new Yup’ik phrases while navigating homesickness and temporary housing far from their villages. Educators said the program is helping preserve Alaska Native language and culture and allowing children to communicate with older generations.