AMSEA's Survival Training in POW Schools

Water shapes life in Alaska, often in ways few places outside of Alaska can understand. This is especially true in rural communities such as Thorne Bay and Naukati. For example, many students boat to school or enjoy recreating on the water daily. Alaska has the highest recreational boating fatality rate in the country, with 62.8 deaths per 100,000 registered vessels, which is more than ten times the national average. Last year, 23 people lost their lives on Alaska's waters, only one had ever taken a boating safety course, and 87 percent of those who drowned weren't wearing a PFD. That's why AMSEA's cold-water and shore-survival training in schools is one of the most essential parts of our work.

Weaving a roof in Thorne Bay

This September, we traveled to Prince of Wales Island to teach at the Thorne Bay and Naukati schools. We began in Thorne Bay, where about 40 middle and high school students joined us for two days of hands-on survival training. We spent our first afternoon in the woods gathering alder, hemlock, and cedar for the students' shelter day. Day one focused on the Seven Steps to Survival, ditch kits, and cold-water survival. They tried on different PFDs, comparing fit and practicing emergency signaling with mirrors and classroom lights.

Day two was more hands-on. We started with fire building, materials, safety, and the types of fires used for warmth, cooking, and signaling. Students tested everything from cotton balls with petroleum jelly to Fritos and marshmallows to see what burned best after a short tide and weather lesson. We moved into the highlight of the trip- the shelter building. Students rotated through stations on ground insulation, leafy roofing, and weaving branch walls, then presented their finished shelters.  

Fire building in Naukati

From there, we headed to Naukati, where another 40 students, ages 8 to 18, joined us. The mix of ages brought great energy. A windstorm on the second day reduced our group to eight, but the smaller class allowed for more focused, hands-on practice.

Our time on Prince of Wales Island was a memorable part of the season. A big thank you to the Southeast Island School District for helping make this training possible. We're always grateful for the chance to teach and learn from so many amazing young Alaskans.

We're also looking ahead to this summer's Educators Workshop in Sitka. This four-day, hands-on train-the-trainer course brings together teachers from across Southeast Alaska to learn boating safety and cold-water survival skills they can take back to their communities. With support for travel, lodging, and tuition, we're able to offer several scholarships to help rural educators attend. If you're an educator interested in bringing AMSEA training to your school, please reach out.