The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) The premier cultural and educational center, located in Anchorage, offers an after-school program that utilizes the arts and humanities to teach young people about their cultural heritage, is being nationally recognized as one of 18 youth arts and humanities programs to receive the prestigious 2008 Coming Up Taller Award.   ANHC President and C.E.O. Jon Ross and student Jay Rapoza traveled to Washington, D.C., for the November 14th ceremony at the White House, where they accept the award.

Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program, which was founded in 1998.

The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, and provide them with new learning opportunities and a chance to contribute to their communities. The awards also highlight the contributions that historians, scholars, librarians and visual and performing arts make to families and communities by mentoring children. More than 350 nominations were received by the program in 2008.

While Anchorage has the largest Alaska Native community in the state, many area youth living in this urban area have had few opportunities to connect with their heritage. Immersion in their cultural traditions helps these young people make sense of who they are and their place in the world. The ANHC gives area youth the opportunity to work with skilled Alaska Native instructors who share their knowledge of traditional dance and music and Native arts that include carving, mask making, basketry and more. The participants also attend leadership workshops where they are introduced to high profile Alaskan leaders.

Participating in the program has enabled many young people to benefit academically and professionally as well. Those who complete 120 hours in the program receive a semester of high school credit, which counts toward graduation. During the summer, the Alaska Native Heritage Center – a museum and cultural site enjoyed by upwards of 100,000 visitors a year – employs approximately 15 percent of the program’s participants as dancers, cultural interpreters and visitor service workers, as a whole nearly 35 percent of all seasonal employee’s have participated in the high school program.

“We are honored to be recognized for our work that is preparing Native youth to be culturally competent.  With the vitality of the Native culture as a foundation our youth are showing the courage and ability to consciously create a better future for themselves, their family and the community” Jonathon Ross, President & Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Native Heritage Center.

 “Arts and humanities activities have a wonderful way of enabling young people to discover their unique talents and Coming Up Taller programs help light the fires of curiosity and creativity in young people, using the discipline that arts and humanities require to learn about themselves and explore the world around them interests while forging a path to success in school and life,” said Adair Margo, Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. “The Alaska Native Heritage Center offers young people a wonderful opportunity to experience the richness of their culture while developing skills that will sustain the proud legacy of Alaska Native communities for generations to come.”

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation, and helps incorporate the humanities and the arts into White House objectives. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Because democracy demands wisdom, the National Endowment for the Humanities serves and strengthens our Republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners.

For more information please visit the following Web sites:

Coming Up Taller: www.cominguptaller.org
President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities: www.pcah.gov
National Endowment for the Arts: www.arts.gov
National Endowment for the Humanities: www.neh.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services: www.imls.gov

First Lady Laura Bush and Jay Rapoza and

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