It all began with Sitka Whalefest.

Nearly two decades ago, Sitka Whalefest (SWF) organizers launched the program “Scientists in the Schools” to connect visiting Whalefest speakers with local students.  SWF speakers provided a rich opportunity to extend science outreach to various grade levels of schoolchildren.

20 years later, Whalefest week is an education extravaganza, bursting at the seams with education activities that revolve around the weekend symposium event.  However, Scientists in the Schools (SIS), funded with a USDA grant through the University of Alaska, Southeast, is now a more expanded approach that goes beyond the Sitka Whalefest symposium and extends into every classroom at each grade level, in every school of Sitka throughout the entire school year.