NEA-Alaska Fall Event

Conference Strands

Empowering Voters

Politics at the local, state, and federal level have direct impacts on our classrooms, students, and educators. In this strand you'll learn about engagement and mobilization tools, strategies, and how to turn educators into advocates this election season and beyond. Led by NEA-Alaska Government Relations and Community Outreach Director, Matt Moser, participants will walk away with a clear understanding of the political lay of the land and how to advance our priorities at all levels of government.

Empowering Local Leaders

This session will cover organizing around issues and concerns in your local. We will work to identify issues in your building/district, create a campaign around the issue, and celebrate your victories. Whether the issue is related to bargaining, a bad boss in the workplace, or school funding on a statewide level, we will work to identify structures, systems, and resources you can utilize to advocate for your issue. This session will rely on resources from Secrets of a Successful Organizer by Labor Notes. 

Empowering Early Career Educators

This session is designed specifically for educators in their first five years of service. Participants will learn basic union history, how participating in their union can help them to better support students, how union processes and resources can help resolve workplace issues, and provide entry points for members to be more engaged at the local, state, and national levels. Facilitators will engage participants on ideas and strategies for improving equity and inclusion at all levels of our union and how you, as a member, can help move the needle. 

Empowering Education Support Professionals

This session is designed for Education Support Professionals as an opportunity to discuss ongoing efforts to establish and ESP Bill of Rights, learn about certification opportunities through the University of Alaska, and network with colleagues on issues related to working conditions, pay and benefits, and organizing. ESP leaders from across the state will facilitate and lead this session with support from NEA-Alaska staff. Space is limited so please only register for this session if you are an ESP.

Empowering Yourself

How do you advocate for health and safety through union channels? What rights do educators have in the workplace? This strand will empower members to use their union to defend rights, workshop sample contract language and create personal boundaries that promote self-maintenance. Attendees will discuss and workshop ways a leader can engage with members to build capacity and momentum for advocacy around mental and physical well-being.