Links & Resources
Education
Ilisagvik College is a public community college located in Barrow, Alaska, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The College is the first of a projected five tribally controlled colleges to be created in Alaska and is the northernmost, accredited, community college in the United States. Accredited in 2002 by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, it offers Associate's degrees as well as one-year certificates in a number of fields. The two-year College serves the North Slope Borough and the Inupiat people, and is dedicated to strengthening Inupiat culture, language, values and traditions. The Tuzzy Consortium Library, named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee, a member of the original Board of Higher Education for the college, serves as Ilisagvik's academic library.
Scientific Research
The Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC) is a not-for-profit organization based in Barrow, Alaska that is dedicated to the encouragement of research and educational activities pertaining to Alaska’s North Slope and the adjacent portions of the Arctic Ocean. The BASC was organized in 1995 as a way for three local organizations and other interested persons to work together in support of arctic science.
Arts Museum
On the rooftop of the world, the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska tells the story of the Iñupiat people. They thrived for thousands of years in one of the harshest climates on Earth, hunting the bowhead whale whom they call "Agviq." In the 19th century, these lonely seas swarmed with commercial whalemen from New England, who also sought the bowhead for its valuable baleen and blubber. Read More...
Public Library
The Tuzzy Consortium Library, located in Barrow, Alaska, provides public library services to the entire North Slope Borough and is the academic library for Ilisagvik College . The library is named in honor of Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee of Point Hope, who was a member of the original Board of Higher Education for the college. The Tuzzy Consortium Library is located in the Iñupiat Heritage Center facility.
The North Slope Borough
America's Arctic is full of surprises. It is home to a subsistence whaling tradition that extends back for as long as our collective memory has existed, yet it also hosts some of the world's most advanced technology in the oil fields spreading out from Prudhoe Bay. The land is vast and remote; and while seemingly rugged, is really remarkably fragile. Our land and waters recover very slowly from damage, so the risks from oil and gas development can be high. We work closely with the oil industry, state, and federal agencies to make sure that everyone can benefit from the resource wealth of this region without sacrificing the natural gifts that have sustained Iñupiat culture for thousands of years.