Educational Outreach
The University of Alaska Fairbanks is a Land, Sea and Space Grant university, focused on the advancement and dissemination of knowledge "through teaching, research and public service with an emphasis on Alaska, the circumpolar North and their diverse peoples" (UAF mission statement.) In this spirit of public service, the Reindeer Research Program has a robust community outreach program. Major areas include:
- Classroom Visits & Farm Tours
- Curriculum Development
- Community Outreach
Classroom Visits & Farm Tours
The Reindeer Research Program educational outreach program is rooted in visits to local schools. We visit students of all ages, from kindergarteners whose questions often involve Santa, to high school science classes where we use reindeer to explore larger biological concepts.
One theme that stands out in our presentations at schools is the unique adaptations that allow reindeer to thrive in the arctic. You can view a fun and educational slide show about these adaptations by clicking here.
Common to all of our school visits is the presence of real live reindeer. Visit our photo gallery for pictures of these deer at work.
In addition to classroom learning, we host educational tours of the farm for school groups and other organizations. If you are interested in setting up a tour, or classroom visit contact Rob Aikman to make arrangements.
Each spring, all of our new calves need names. Though a few calves "earn" their names, based on personality or circumstance, most of our deer are named by kids. Each year we collect submissions and then pick the best names for our calves. Visit the Name our Calves page if you want to suggest a name.
Curriculum development
Reindeer have a significant role it the historical and cultural perspectives of Alaska, particularly along the western coast. This makes them a useful medium for tying together lessons in science and math with those in history and culture. Through the years, many teachers have expressed an interest is locating the resources to develop their own reindeer units. In response to this, the Reindeer Research Program has hosted a series of workshops in Fairbanks and Nome for teachers who wanted to learn more about reindeer and their potential as a teaching aid.
Through a grant from the College of Rural & Community Development we were able to go even further and develop a curriculum book called Reindeer Roundup! This publication is a direct outgrowth of our teacher workshops and many of the participants of those sessions wrote lesson plans that were ultimately included in the book. Reindeer Roundup! meets the State of Alaska standards for Alaskan studies in public schools. It is available in PDF format here. (There is also a limited of number of hardcopies for distribution. Contact Margo Kramer for more details. )
Community outreach
We also provide educational programs to adults, both to reindeer herders and to the interested public. For example, in conjunction with Cooperative Extension Service, we have hosted a series of meat cutting and preservation workshops in Nome and Fairbanks. These classes are very popular and always fill up well in advance.
