Camai! Welcome
Friends of ANCCS is a non-profit 501c3 organization. We were formed to support the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School. We are the only affiliated entity to hold funds for the school's future needs.
The Alaska Native Cultural Charter School (ANCCS) was displaced from its school building due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the school has been housed in a temporary location at Bettye Davis East High School. This has been a significant disruption for our students, families, and staff.
ANCCS is in dire need of a space of our own, designed to fulfill the unique needs of K-8 students, families, and staff. This is necessary for our students to meet their full potential and our community to thrive educationally, socially, and culturally.
Alaska Native Cultural Charter School, founded in 2007, is the only Title I public charter school within the Anchorage School District. ANCCS is open to all students from preschool through 8th grade. ANCCS students learn Alaska Native Cultures, History, Traditions, and Languages with a focus on Yup’ik Culture. ANCCS provides students with a strong sense of Alaska Native pride and values through Yuuyaraq (way of being).
Our Board Members
Christine Harrington, Board President
Christine has been teaching for 18 years in Rural Alaska and at ANCCS, she is currently the Instructional Coach at ANCCS. She has served on other non-profit board's for the past 5 years and has done extensive volunteer work including fundraising and event coordination. She's originally from the interior village of McGrath but currently lives in Anchorage.
Chelsea Ryan, Board Vice President
Chelsea has worked in the tribal health system serving Alaska Native people for more than 10 years. She has a wide range of duties supporting Southcentral Foundations primary care clinics, HIV program and integrated shelter-based clinics. Chelsea holds a bachelor's degree in Nursing and a minor in Anthropology from UAA and a graduate certificate in Alaska Native Executive Leadership from APU. She is passionate about the health and wellness of Alaska Native people. Chelsea is Upper Kuskokwim Athabascan, originally from McGrath and now lives in Anchorage with her husband Lee and two kids.
Marge Winkelman, Secretary
Marge was born and raised in McGrath, Alaska. She is recently retired with a background in administration at various business, legal, medical, and native for profit and nonprofit corporations. In addition, she has experience in fundraising, event planing, student counsellor at AVTEC, Education Employment Tech at TCC, 10 years as a legal secretary, and Executive Assistant at Carr Gottstein.
Jeff Mayrand, Treasurer
Martha Gould-Lehe, Board Member
Martha is a founding member of ANCCS. She has 25 years of classroom experience and 10 years as a trainer and presenter on the Alaska Cultural Standards and Cultural Proficiency. Martha brings to the Board her expertise in these areas as well as her knowledge of the school.