JUNEAU – University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) education graduate Robyn Capp has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation for her project on COVID-19 Rapid Response. The program goal is to support educator-led initiatives that increase educational equity and opportunity in response to student needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Capp plans to use the funds from the NEA Foundation’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant to create flexible learning kits for the students in her classroom at Randy Smith Middle School in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District.

Developed for the current school year, the kits were developed so they can transition with students between the risk levels. This will allow students to have access to familiar materials both in the classroom and at home. Each flexible learning kit includes core instructional material and hands-on activities. In addition, each kit will also be individualized based on each student’s IEP goals, objectives and specific family needs. The materials are aligned with Alaska’s Smart Start 2020.

Robyn Capp graduated from UAS with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education in 2019 as the program’s Outstanding Graduate. Dr. Heather Batchelder, Associate Professor of Education for the UAS Alaska College of Education, remarked, “Meeting the needs of students experiencing exceptionalities is a challenge internationally due to COVID-19. Robyn saw the need and created the flexible learning kits to meet that need. At this time, over 200 hundred teachers in the Fairbanks Northstar Borough School District are using these kits to make their students comfortable with their learning materials regardless of the educational setting!”

Dr. Steve Atwater noted, “I am thrilled to learn that one of our graduates is playing such an important role with the Fairbanks Northstar Borough School District. I am impressed that a new teacher is leading in this way.” Atwater is the Executive Dean for the Alaska College of Education.

Learn more about education degrees available at the University of Alaska Southeast at uas.alaska.edu/education or speak to an advisor at (907) 796-6000.

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