Native youth at the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Fab Lab in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo from Facebook
An Alaska Native woman who has been helping youth connect their traditions with technology will be honored by the White House this week. Renee Fredericks serves as the director of Youth Education and Employment Services for the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. She's worked with a broad group of partners, including the Anchorage School District and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to advance new opportunities for tribal students. The MIT partnership resulted in the launch of CITC's Fab Lab. Students use cutting-edge tools like 3D printers and an industrial embroidery machine to fabricate their own products, solve problems and learn more about their heritage.
Renee Fredericks. Photo from LinkedIn
For her efforts, Fredericks is being recognized as a Champion of Change. She will participate in a ceremony at the White House that will be webcast at whitehouse.gov/live at 11am on Friday. Biographical information about Fredericks, provided by the White House, follows:
Renee Fredericks – Anchorage, Alaska
Working to connect traditional Alaska Native crafts with the digital fabrication tools of today, Renee Fredericks directs the Youth Education and Employment Services at Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) in Anchorage, Alaska. Under her leadership, CITC Fab Lab provides maker opportunities to Alaska Native and American Indian youth in partnership with the Anchorage School District and other youth organizations. Renee’s combined passion for preserving tradition while embracing opportunities led her to help launch the CITC Fab Lab and create its programs. Renee is committed to designing new hands-on approaches to help Alaska Native and American Indian students overcome academic disparities and increase skillsets for work available in the Alaskan economy and beyond.
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