Youth

Mark understands the power of emerging leaders in shaping a strong future, and recognizes the need to invest in our youth. Mark got his business license at the age of sixteen and was elected to office by age twenty-six. He co-founded the Spirit of Youth Foundation and expanded the peer-to-peer model of Anchorage Youth Court throughout Alaska. As Mayor of Anchorage, Mark took great strides to ensure youth had a place at the table: he placed youth onto boards and commissions, advanced the Municipal Youth Advisory Commission, and established over sixty youth volunteer positions through the City Internship Program. In 2007, Mark launched Youth Employment in Parks to provide diverse Anchorage youth a meaningful first job and civic engagement training, Mark understands the pressing issues this generation faces: global warming and rising energy costs are threatening the Alaska way of life, multiple barriers make a quality education difficult for many youth, and our current economy does not reflect the job potential in our own communities. As a lifelong Alaskan and father, Mark will invest in Alaska’s future leaders, through affordable and accessible education, local workforce development, and sustainable communities.

Make Education Affordable and Accessible

• Make College Affordable for all Alaskans: Mark supports the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit along with a broad-based college and vocational education tuition tax credit for all middle class Americans. Mark also supports increased funding for Pell Grants and new loan forgiveness structures that recognize the needs of students who are the first ones in their family to attend college.
• Repeal No Child Left Behind & Strengthen Community Roles in Education: Mark will work to repeal No Child Left Behind which he believes has been a disaster, especially in rural Alaska. He will fight for new education policies that respect community values. Mark also supports stronger roles for tribal and village officials in education decisions.
• Support Culturally Responsive Curriculum: Mark supports parent and community involvement in the development of a culturally relevant curriculum that meets state standards and utilizes traditional ways to teach math, science, history, analytical skills, and further development of Alaska Native language immersion programs.
• Support Arts Education: In addition to strengthening our students’ grasp of math and science, arts education is integral to helping all youth succeed. Mark will support funding of arts education programs for traditionally underserved youth.
• Increase Funding for Alaska Schools: Mark will fight to make sure Alaska schools get the full funding they deserve so that youth can attend school in healthy, well-structured, safe environments. He will push for increased teacher salaries.

Support and Grow our Local Workforce

• Expand Career and Technical Programs: Mark will fight for increased funding for middle and high school career and technical programs and teacher recruitment. He will support on the job training opportunities and strategies to match young adults with appropriate roles.
• Support the New Energy Economy: Mark will push for new funding to expand the number of trained workers who can conduct home energy audits, install energy-efficient technologies, build energy-efficient homes and businesses, and maintain alternative energy vehicles of the future.
• Bring our Graduates Back: Mark supports new incentives and focused recruitment to bring Alaska graduates back to our rural communities as teachers and health professionals, including loan forgiveness. He will also promote incentives for businesses to ‘hire Alaskan.’

Support and Grow our Local Workforce

• Make it Easier for Young Alaskans to Get Started: Mark wants to help hard-working Alaskans, including young professionals, purchase their first home. He supports making permanent a refundable tax credit for first-time home buyers. Mark will push to allow Alaskans up to age twenty-five to keep their parent-provided coverage regardless of student status.
• Make the Internet Accessible: Rural Alaska should have the same opportunities as urban Alaska to enjoy the benefits of the Internet, which brings access to information, schooling, job training, health care and economic opportunities. Mark supports wise use of the national Universal Service Fund to ensure affordable high-speed Internet services in rural areas.

Strengthen Youth Contributions through Service

• Expand Service-Learning in our Schools: Mark will support national efforts to mandate community service hours across all middle and high schools.
• Expand Americorps programs in Alaska: Mark will work to expand the number of Americorps positions nationally and also here at home, so that more young Alaskans can serve their communities.
• Promote Service in College: Mark will support efforts to establish tax credits for students in exchange for public service hours.

Provide Real Support for Alaska Youth to Succeed

• Support Community Centers that Integrate Youth and Family Services: Our current community centers are underutilized, and Mark supports exploring innovative models with integrated youth and family services.
• Enhance restorative and rehabilitative justice programs: Mark will fight for rehabilitative and restorative sentencing measures and reintegration programs for youth and young adult offenders so that all youth have a chance to be positive contributors to our community.

Promote Healthy and Sustainable Communities

• Fight Global Warming: Mark will support national legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent in 2050. Mark will support an Alaska Adaptation Fund to provide immediate assistance to Alaska communities already suffering the impacts of climate change.
• Reduce high energy costs, especially in rural Alaska: Skyrocketing energy costs are forcing rural Alaskans to leave their communities. Rural Alaska is home to some of the best renewable energy resources in Alaska. Mark believes a more efficient renewable generation system based on a mix of renewable and diesel energy will lower energy costs and create new jobs in villages.
• Build Sustainable Schools: Mark will support new federal funding that rewards school that adopt sustainable, high-performance building and reconstruction standards.
• Support Healthy Lifestyles: Mark supports the No Child Left Inside Act, a bill written to better prepare teachers for using hands-on outdoor education to engage students in learning and improve achievement. In addition, Mark will strengthen efforts to fight obesity and involve our youth with physical activities.