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Dear Alliance Members,

Welcome back! We hope the summer brought some rest, good company, and a little breathing room before we dive back in.

August marks the start of a new fiscal year for the Alliance, and we're coming back with a lot to look forward to. This year is shaping up to be a meaningful one, with three major areas of focus anchoring our collective work.

Strategic Planning: This year the Alliance will be engaging in a strategic planning process to reflect on where we've been, clarify where we're headed, and make sure our efforts as a coalition are aligned and intentional. This is work that belongs to all of us, and member voice will be central to how it unfolds.

Excise Tax Initiative: We'll continue to advance the excise tax initiative, an important policy lever for prevention funding in Alaska. There's real momentum here, and the Alliance has a meaningful role to play in keeping that conversation moving.

The AURORA Project: AURORA is a growing effort to strengthen data collection and shared learning across Alaska's prevention landscape. We'll be sharing more about this project and opportunities to engage as the year gets underway.

These three threads connect to something bigger: a coalition that is strategic, well-resourced, and grounded in what communities across Alaska actually need.

Speaking of community, this is a wonderful time to get more involved. All Alliance workgroups are open to members and we'd love to see some fresh energy around the table. Whether you've been with us for years or have been thinking about getting more engaged, now is a great time to jump in. Check further down in this newsletter for workgroup meeting times and find one that fits your interests.

We're glad to be back together. Here's to a strong year ahead.

Warmly,

Tesia Bobrycki

Coalition Coordinator

tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org

Join Us for a Sweet Celebration!

You’re invited to Recoverees 2026: Sweet Connections, an evening filled with appetizers, desserts, mocktails, inspiring stories, fun activities, and plenty of opportunities to celebrate recovery and connection. Together, we’ll recognize this year’s Recoverees awardees while raising funds to support sober events and recovery-friendly gatherings throughout Alaska. It’s a chance to celebrate the people moving this work forward, strengthen relationships across our communities, and have a truly sweet time along the way.

This year, The Alliance community has even more reason to celebrate, as we honor two very familiar - and deeply valued - faces: Christiana Smith and Tom Begich!

Christiana has spent many years serving the Seward Prevention Coalition and has brought her leadership, insight, and heart to The Alliance as a co-chair. Tom has also been an important part of this work for many years, contributing as a contractor and active Strategy Workgroup member. Both have helped strengthen prevention efforts, build meaningful connections, and move our shared work of preventing the harms of alcohol forward across Alaska.

And here’s the cherry on top: limited childcare will be available! Childcare is offered on a first-come, first-served basis with ticket purchase, so be sure to reserve your spot before all the spaces are scooped up.

🍰 Wednesday, September 16

🕔 5:00–7:00 p.m.

📍 The Nave in Anchorage

Come celebrate two familiar faces, raise some dough for sober community events, and enjoy a night that is sure to take the cake.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

Train-the-Trainer: Intro to the Prevention Core Competencies

Experienced substance use prevention professionals have an opportunity to become certified trainers for the Introduction to the Prevention Core Competencies (PCC) curriculum. This free virtual training of trainers combines four 3-hour Zoom sessions on September 1, 3, 8, and 10 (11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Alaska time) with self-paced coursework.

This course is limited to about 12 participants and is designed for those with at least three years of experience in substance use prevention who have already completed the PCC course and are certified (or working toward certification) as prevention specialists. Applicants should be ready to commit to delivering the PCC curriculum at least twice over the next two years and confirm their organization can support that commitment.

Sessions are led by three experienced trainers in the field: Nicole M Augustine, Rikki Barton, and Alicia Hughes. Since seats are limited and full attendance at all four sessions is required with no makeup days, interested applicants should register as soon as possible to secure a spot!

REGISTER HERE

Nuch'ishtunt Wellness and SAP Services, LLC

Alma Robinson, Alliance member and founder of Nuch'ishtunt Wellness and SAP Services, LLC, integrates culturally grounded healing with federally compliant practices. Honoring Alaska Native traditions, crafting personalized pathways for wellness and recovery in a culturally safe environment, her dedication lies in balancing regulatory requirements with deep respect for Indigenous values.

This organization provides federally compliant Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) evaluations alongside culturally grounded Indigenous healing services rooted in Dena'ina values and Alaska Native wellness traditions. They also facilitate cultural workshops that share practices and knowledge in ways that build understanding and respect. Recent workshop topics include Salve Making, Drum Making, Beading, NYO, Processing Moose, and Healing Circles.

To learn more, email Alma Robinson at arobinson@nuchishtuntwellnessandsapservices.net.

Mindfulness Resources to

Prevent Distracted Driving Among Alaska Youth

Hello from the Center for Safe Alaskans Injury Prevention Team!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving crashes claimed 3,275 lives and injured an estimated 324,819 more nationwide in 2023 alone.

The numbers hit close to home here in Alaska. According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, over 40% of students reported texting or emailing while driving in the previous 30-day period. When a driver reads a text, their eyes are off the road for an average of five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that's like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. Distracted driving puts everyone on the road at risk, which is why this year we have been partnering with the Governors Highway Safety Association to address it, with a particular focus on young Alaskan drivers.

Center for Safe Alaskans is encouraging mindfulness as an approach to prevent distracted driving. This approach is grounded in research; please find some of this research at the end of this message. Mindfulness is an awareness of one's internal states and surroundings, and simple exercises can help drivers clear their minds and build focus before and during time behind the wheel. To bring this approach to young drivers across Alaska, we've developed a portfolio of resources we'd love to share with our injury prevention and youth-serving partners.

Here's what we've created:

Two Video PSAs (developed in partnership with Alaska Teen Media Institute)

These short videos focus on the importance of clearing your mind from distraction before driving:

  • Deep Breath: https://youtu.be/0nFikrRg1V4

  • Finding Focus: https://youtu.be/pTewjIT0AOg

These are also shared on social media. Use these links for easy sharing on your own social channels:

• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DkBZ8DEos/
• https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EPRPq57HC/

Mindfulness Exercises for Driver

A curated set of simple exercises to help clear the mind and build focus before starting the car, or to re-center at a red light or stop sign.

Instruction Permit Practice Log

For new drivers working toward their license, this tracking template includes space to log focus exercises and driving reflections, helping young drivers build focused habits from the very start.

Safe Alaskans is working to make these resources available on our website and through our direct service programs, and we need partners like you to help us reach more young drivers across the state. Please share these resources through your own channels and when you do, let us know how many people you're able to reach. We're tracking our collective statewide impact, and every share makes a difference.

To partner with us or learn more, please reach out to Keely Livingston at klivingston@safealaskans.org or 907-215-6984. We'd love to work together to make Alaska's roads safer for everyone!

VIEW MINDFULNESS EXERCISES AND PERMIT PRACTICE LOG HERE

Get Involved!

Between starting new work and sustaining our progress, there are many opportunities to participate in The Alliance! All current workgroups are open to any member who would like to join. You can always read more about our workgroups and their purpose on the Get Involved page of our website. Our network practices an emergent strategy, and we update information based on our network's needs.

Interested in joining a workgroup? Click below to learn more, access the Zoom link, and read past meeting notes!

• The Communications & Social Norms Workgroup is led by an experienced media and communications contractor and advances the two social norms campaigns addressing underage drinking: Choose Connection and In Case You Missed It. The workgroup also supports the Alliance's various other internal and external communications needs. This workgroup meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 1-2 pm.

• The Data and Learning Workgroup is led by a data contractor and will be supporting data equity conversations and practices. This workgroup meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12pm - 1:30pm.

• The Evaluation and Learning Workgroup is where members can participate in designing the annual evaluation process for the Alliance alongside a professional evaluator and receive technical assistance and support on utilizing evaluation in their work. This workgroup meets on the first Thursday of each month from 9:30am - 11am.

• The Strategic Design Workgroup builds structures and processes for the network to work in alignment with our values and theory of change. This workgroup is led by an experienced prevention professional and regional co-chair, and meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 1pm - 2pm.

• The Policy Workgroup is led by a policy expert and works to track alcohol and prevention policies, identifies and designs advocacy actions, and provides technical assistance to individuals wanting to engage in the political process. This workgroup meets on the second Friday of each month from 11am - 12pm. During legislative session (Jan-Apr), this workgroup meets every other Friday from 11am - 12pm.

All are welcome!

Workgroup Meeting Links

Evaluation & Learning Workgroup: Use this Zoom link to attend a meeting.

Communications & Social Norms Workgroup: Use this Zoom link to attend a meeting.

Policy Workgroup: Use this Zoom link to attend a meeting.

Strategic Design Workgroup: Use this Zoom link to attend a meeting.

Data & Learning Workgroup: Use this Zoom link to attend a meeting.

We hope to see you there!

About The Alliance

The Alliance is a collaborative effort of multiple and diverse partners across Alaska who recognize the harms of alcohol on individuals and communities. We are personally and professionally committed to working together to address this complex problem in our state.

Our primary goal is to connect and engage communities as partners - increasing protective factors, reducing risk factors, and changing social norms - to prevent underage alcohol use and eliminate all harms of alcohol use in Alaska.

Alliance Materials:



• The Alliance's Common Agenda
• The Alliance's Resource Page

Want to Lead Change?

Apply to Be a Co-Chair of The Alaska Alliance!

Are you passionate about shaping Alaska’s future and driving meaningful community impact? The Alliance is now accepting applications for the Co-Chair position. This is a unique opportunity to help guide the organization’s vision, build partnerships, and amplify our collective voice.

If you’re interested in stepping up as a leader and making a difference, we encourage you to apply!

APPLY HERE

If you would like to submit content for The Alliance newsletter, please email

Tesia at tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org and Kara at kstewart@recoveralaska.org.