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Dear Alliance Members,

As we close out this fiscal year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a truly remarkable year for The Alliance. What began last fall as a season of recommitment and preparation grew into a year defined by connection, learning, action, and real systems level progress. This final newsletter is an opportunity to celebrate what we have accomplished together.

Year in Review: Key Accomplishments

Growing Our Coalition

The Alliance entered this fiscal year with strong membership and finished even stronger, growing from 203 to 214 actively engaged members across every region of Alaska. This growth reflects not just numbers, but a deepening commitment from individuals and organizations statewide to advance community-driven prevention.

Deepened Engagement and Learning

Across all four quarters, The Alliance held over 65 coalition meetings, including All Alliance gatherings, Open Space sessions, Co-Chair convenings, and workgroup meetings. Members participated in a robust training calendar covering evaluation basics, data visualization, consent based decision making, the legislative process, risk and protective factors, and ripple effects mapping, strengthening our collective capacity at every level.

The Calricaraq Gathering

Perhaps the most meaningful milestone of this fiscal year was our in-person Calricaraq gathering, which brought together 72 participants representing every region of Alaska. Rooted in Yup’ik values and wellness practices, this gathering was a powerful reminder that connection and community are the very foundation of how we work. The relationships deepened and the shared learning that emerged from Calricaraq will carry The Alliance forward for years to come.

Choose Connection, Statewide

The Choose Connection campaign expanded significantly this year, reaching communities through social media, public transit signage, toolkits, and outreach events, including the Alaska School Safety & Well Being Summit and the Youth Suicide Prevention Summit. Completion of SOR funded campaign activities over the winter marked a major milestone, and the campaign’s visibility and reach continued to grow through last spring.

Policy Progress

The Policy Workgroup had an active and impactful year. Members tracked key legislation including SB 306 and SB 308, engaged in advocacy through the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance (USAPA) collaborative, developed an excise tax proposal, and created a new policy decision making framework to guide Alliance priorities. Individualized advocacy technical assistance helped members engage confidently and effectively with the legislative process.

Data, Evaluation, and Storytelling

The Data & Learning Workgroup sharpened its focus on storytelling and ripple effects mapping, approaches that help us capture the full breadth of our impact in community centered, culturally resonant ways. The Evaluation Workgroup launched a yearlong training calendar and advanced development of the Alliance member survey, laying the groundwork for richer learning and accountability across the coalition.

Looking Forward

Next fiscal year (beginning in July) holds real momentum. We will be pushing forward on the alcohol excise tax initiative, deepening the ripple-effects mapping work, expanding community-based data collection, and continuing to build the statewide social norms campaign with a focus on underage drinking prevention. We will also develop a new strategic plan that centers systems level impact, shaped by everything we have learned this year, and explore the Icelandic Prevention Model as a potential framework for expanding our reach with youth and communities.

Most importantly, we will keep doing what The Alliance does best: bringing people together across Alaska to prevent harm, build resilience, and create the conditions for communities to thrive.

Please be sure to join us on Thursday, June 18th, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. to review the work we have done over the last year, follow up on our Ripple Effects Mapping session, and learn more about plans for this next year!

Thank you for being part of this work. It is a privilege to be in coalition with you.

With gratitude,

Tesia Bobrycki

Coalition Coordinator

tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org

Save a Life Day 2026

Save a Life Day is back on September 24, 2026, and planning is already underway across the country. Last year, all 50 states participated and more than 132,000 doses of naloxone were distributed in a single day. Save a Life Day is rooted in community care and connection, bringing people together to share free naloxone, reduce stigma, and help make lifesaving resources more accessible. Events can be simple and grassroots or big and community-wide, whatever makes sense locally.

Organizers will have access to monthly planning meetings, outreach tools, design templates, press materials, anti-stigma swag, and ongoing support from the SOAR team. There are several ways to get involved, including serving as a county organizer, state organizer, volunteer, or sponsor. If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to show up for your community, this is a great opportunity to be part of something powerful happening nationwide.

SIGN UP HERE

From Storytelling to Stigma Reduction: Recover Alaska Mini-Grant Spotlight

One of the most powerful ways to prevent the harms of alcohol is through honest conversation, shared stories, and creative expression.

That's exactly what Juneau filmmaker Scott Burton set out to do with Earnest Drinker, a short film supported through a Recover Alaska Mini-Grant. After more than forty years navigating his own complicated relationship with alcohol, Scott created a film that explores why people drink, why they stop, and how the language we use around alcohol and recovery can either create connection or reinforce stigma.

Earnest Drinker weaves Scott's personal story together with voices from advocates and people in recovery, all set against the backdrop of Southeast Alaska. The result is a thoughtful and authentic conversation starter that invites viewers to reflect on alcohol's role in our communities and how we support one another on the path to wellness.

Scott's project is a wonderful example of how art, storytelling, and community engagement can help advance the movement to reduce alcohol-related harms across Alaska.

If you've ever had an idea for a project that could spark conversation, build connection, reduce stigma, promote wellness, or strengthen your community's response to alcohol-related harms, we encourage you to consider applying for a Recover Alaska Mini-Grant. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, with bi-monthly reviews (next review is: June 15th). Together, we can create meaningful change - one story, one conversation, and one community at a time.

Watch Earnest Drinker and join the conversation.

WATCH HERE

Call for Applications: Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council

The Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council (SOYTAC) is now accepting applications for youth ages 13-19 who are passionate about making a difference in their communities and uplifting the incredible work of Alaska youth.

SOYTAC members play an active role in shaping youth-led initiatives across the state. Council members help review and select mini grant recipients for the Empowering Youth to End Bullying program, plan the annual Spirit of Youth Awards, and help select Spirit of Youth award recipients who are creating positive change in their communities.

This is a great opportunity for youth who are interested in leadership, community involvement, advocacy, event planning, and recognizing the strengths and accomplishments of their peers across Alaska.

We are looking for youth who are excited to share ideas, collaborate with others, and help highlight the impact young people are making statewide.

Who can apply?

Youth ages 13-19 from across Alaska

Why join SOYTAC?

●    Gain leadership experience

●    Help support youth-led projects

●    Be involved in statewide decision-making

●    Connect with other youth leaders

●    Help celebrate and recognize positive change in Alaska communities

For more information or to apply, please contact Aislinn Waite: awaite@spiritofyouth.org

How Alliance Members Are Choosing Connection

We’d love to hear from all of you about how you choose connection, whether in small daily moments or in the big steps you’re taking to find and maintain it in your lives!

Email your connection stories to Tesia: tbobrycki@recoveralaska.org.

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

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.

You are welcome to ask questions about those workgroups

or to ask to join any of them.

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.