C3: Cross-Cultural Competence

What is C3?

The Cross-Cultural Competence (C3) Educator Program supports educators in building resilient cultural identities while reflecting on the lens through which they view their students and communities, their relationship-building, and their teaching practices. C3 guides participants through a cultural induction program that includes a cultural immersion experience, supportive gatherings during the school year, a graduate-level university course, and community mentorship. Educators who come through C3 gain the tools, support, and confidence to sustainably build welcoming school spaces that reflect and honor the cultures of their communities.

Current C3 Program Areas

Northwest Arctic Region Ilisautri Program

We are delighted to be renewing our long-standing C3 partnership with Northwest Arctic Borough School District, Alaska Technical Center, and tribal councils, communities, and individuals in-region. Benefits of our program include:

• Attend an all-expenses-paid immersion at a rural culture camp in the Northwest Arctic Region to gain knowledge of the region and local communication, learning, and teaching styles

• Connect with and learn from a site peer mentor in your Northwest Arctic Borough School District community

• Enroll in a no-cost, three-credit graduate- level multicultural studies course required for initial Alaska certification or renewal credits with textbooks provided

• Build supportive relationships with a cohort of teachers throughout the academic year through formal and informal check-ins and two in-person meetings with the cohort

• Reflect on your own culture and how it shapes your experiences in the classroom and the community

We are currently recruiting educators from Northwest Arctic to join our 2026-2027 cohort! Applications for educators employed by NWABSD will be accepted on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.

Returning Staff: Apply here by April 16th!

• A dedicated application period will be open for educators who are new to the district until May 29th.

Dates for 2026-2027 academic year

​C3 is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Alaska Native Education Program.

C3 Program Impact

A 2017 five-year study shows a significant impact:

• Twice as many C3 teachers chose to stay in Lower Kuskokwim School District compared to non-C3 teachers; in NWABSD, 1.7 times as many C3 teachers chose to stay compared to non-C3 teachers.
• The C3 induction model becomes cost effective by year 2 or 3, depending on the scale of teacher replacement in a district.
• Increasing cultural competency, as the C3 Project does, increases teachers' grit and growth mindsets.

See the "5 Year Evaluation Report" to learn more about the full study.

Bristol Bay Region: Download the BBNC Cultural Wellness report to learn more about this unique region and how the three indigenous cultures of Bristol Bay- Alutiiq, Dena'ina, and Yup'ik- come to life here.

Our partners are instrumental in moving this project forward:

• Bristol Bay Native Corporation and BBNC Education Foundation,

• Bristol Bay Regional Career and Technical Education Program (BBRCTE),

• University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) School of Education,

• Bristol Bay Borough School District,

• Dillingham City School District,

• Lake and Peninsula School District,

• Southwest Region School District, and

• Education Northwest

In connection with this program, UAA is pleased to offer a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning. C3 participants will have the unique opportunity to earn 3 credits towards this Master's degree, in addition to the required experiential learning credits after 3 years of teaching in the Bristol Bay region. Learn more by visiting this webpage.