Sitka’s Blatchley Middle School highlights 'Discover Your Potential' program
February 23, 2026 | 2026 Legislature Alaska, Alaska
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Ben White, assistant principal at Blatchley Middle School in Sitka, told the Alaska House Education Committee on Feb. 23 that the school’s 'Discover Your Potential' (DYP) week pairs students with community partners for immersive career and enrichment classes.
"Discover Your Potential happens roughly every other year," White said, adding that this year the school offered 50 unique courses and worked with 35 community partners. Students select four classes and take each class for five consecutive days.
White described examples shown to the committee: a commercial fishing course where students learned boat safety and gear handling and a UAS scuba-diving course in which 12 students trained one-on-one with scuba divers. Assistant principal Keith Shelton, who coordinated this year’s program, said organizers begin outreach months in advance to secure transportation, funding and volunteers.
Shelton told the committee he contacted repeat partners and recruited new groups — local chefs, marine providers and churches — arranging vans and funding from tribal organizations and other donors as needed.
School leaders said DYP began as a response to a February spike in behavioral referrals. "We now our office referrals are almost nonexistent, compared to we had over 400 a year 14 years ago," White told the committee, attributing the improvement to DYP combined with a schoolwide positive behavior supports program.
Committee members asked about recess and youth wellbeing; White described Blatchley’s 30-minute lunch period (10 minutes to eat, 20 minutes optional activity or library time) and said supervised outdoor recess supports students’ focus and relationships. The committee encouraged sharing the program and offered to host visiting students in Juneau.
The committee heard the presentation as part of its opening 'celebration of schools' and moved on to legislative business after thanking White and Shelton.
"Discover Your Potential happens roughly every other year," White said, adding that this year the school offered 50 unique courses and worked with 35 community partners. Students select four classes and take each class for five consecutive days.
White described examples shown to the committee: a commercial fishing course where students learned boat safety and gear handling and a UAS scuba-diving course in which 12 students trained one-on-one with scuba divers. Assistant principal Keith Shelton, who coordinated this year’s program, said organizers begin outreach months in advance to secure transportation, funding and volunteers.
Shelton told the committee he contacted repeat partners and recruited new groups — local chefs, marine providers and churches — arranging vans and funding from tribal organizations and other donors as needed.
School leaders said DYP began as a response to a February spike in behavioral referrals. "We now our office referrals are almost nonexistent, compared to we had over 400 a year 14 years ago," White told the committee, attributing the improvement to DYP combined with a schoolwide positive behavior supports program.
Committee members asked about recess and youth wellbeing; White described Blatchley’s 30-minute lunch period (10 minutes to eat, 20 minutes optional activity or library time) and said supervised outdoor recess supports students’ focus and relationships. The committee encouraged sharing the program and offered to host visiting students in Juneau.
The committee heard the presentation as part of its opening 'celebration of schools' and moved on to legislative business after thanking White and Shelton.
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