Donn Gallon, a fifth-grade teacher at Pilot Station School, wanted to help students connect with the world outside of their village. So in 2014, he started the Pilot Station School Radio Club. Kids gather after school and on weekends to use ham radio, a special radio service for people who want to chat with others across the globe without relying on the internet or phones. The kids have spoken with people in countries as far away as Japan, Italy, and Brazil. “We talk about what time it is there, what the weather is like, what they do for fun,” says Anastasia Tinker, a 14-year-old student at the school.
The kids in Pilot Station also tell people in other places what life is like in their tiny village, located on the Yukon River. Most people in the village, including Anastasia, are Yup’ik Eskimo. Those are Alaska Natives who have lived in the region for thousands of years. The Yup’ik fish, hunt, and gather food instead of relying on grocery stores. Communities share their food at traditional celebrations called potlatches.