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A BRIEF HISTORY AND VALUES
Alaska Statewide Mentor Project
The University of Alaska obtained funding for a statewide mentoring pilot project
which began in the 2003/2004 school year with one mentor working in five school districts.
By early spring 2004, Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) Commissioner Roger Sampson had learned enough about the mentoring program to ask
then UA President Mark Hamilton, "How can we make this happen statewide?"
Department of Education and Early Development joins ASMP
DEED linked arms with the University to make it happen, pooling both state and federal
grant resources. By April 2004, 22 mentors were selected out of 150 exemplary teachers
who applied. The teachers were released from their districts to work full time for
the project and attended their first mentor training session in June of 2004. By the
2004/2005 school year, mentors were provided to over three hundred early career teachers
in 31 school districts across Alaska.
ASMP Co-founder Lorrie Scoles is encouraged by the positive feedback
"We know from talking to our mentors and early career teachers that what we are doing
is having a positive impact on teachers and students alike," said Lorrie Scoles, former
director of ASMP, "The Mentor Program is a shining star in Alaska and for other states
that are looking to develop comprehensive mentoring programs. We are very proud of
our state for recognizing the need to support our early career teachers, and I am
very grateful to President Hamilton and Commissioner Sampson for working together
to make it happen."
Quantitative Research shows results
Since the early days, we have backed up the narrative that our program is working
with studies and quantitative research. ASMP has a researcher on staff from the beginning,
and a research report published every other year.
Diversified funding
Over the years, ASMP has adapted with the changing landscape of legislative funding.
In 2016 funding was removed from the Alaska legislative budget.
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