Alaska Kids Measure Ice, Save Lives in Their Communities

Students in a remote Alaskan village spotted a snowmobile track on dangerously thin ice and knew they had to act fast. Thanks to measurements they'd taken as part of the Fresh Eyes on Ice program, they knew the ice was too weak to support the heavy machine.

The school reached out to their local radio station with an urgent warning. No one ventured onto the ice again until it was safely frozen weeks later.

In interior Alaska, frozen rivers become winter highways connecting isolated communities. Ice safety isn't just important. It's a matter of life and death.

A 2013 study found 449 people fell through ice in Alaska over 21 years, with more than a third of incidents resulting in at least one fatality. Most victims were on snowmobiles traveling across ice they thought was safe.

Now around 325 students each year, from kindergartners to high school seniors, are measuring and tracking ice thickness across 24 Alaskan communities. The Fresh Eyes on Ice program, launched in 2019, partners NASA, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and local communities to collect vital safety data.

Students drill holes with ice augers, deploy temperature monitoring buoys, and fly drones to spot hidden dangers like overflow, where water pools dangerously on top of ice beneath snow. Getting wet in Alaska's winter temperatures can be deadly.

Seventeen-year-old Ida Bodony says the program's Facebook page has become essential for sharing conditions between villages. When flooding threatens her community of Galena, reports from upriver communities help them know exactly what's coming.

The Ripple Effect

The data students collect does double duty. It helps their neighbors travel safely today while building a climate record that will protect future generations.

For students with no experience beyond ice cubes in drinks, the program opens their eyes to their environment. Teacher Amanda Aloysius has them write about their experiences before and after fieldwork, capturing how their understanding grows.

The program weaves together traditional knowledge from local elders with modern science. Students learn from their own communities first, honoring the wisdom that has kept people safe on ice for generations, then contribute their observations to databases used by researchers worldwide.

Karin Bodony, a biologist who works with students, takes measurements herself when weather keeps kids indoors. Every data point matters in communities where the timing of ice formation has become less predictable.

These young scientists are proving that protecting your community can start with paying attention to what's right outside your classroom window.