(SitNews) Anchorage, Alaska - The Alaska Division of Elections will host its first language summit March 19-20 in Anchorage. The goal is for participants to learn about the division’s efforts to increase language assistance along with Alaska Native languages preservation and revitalization efforts.

Lt. Governor Byron Mallott said, “I’m encouraged to see the Alaska Division of Elections provide a meaningful focus on language and real world application of language assistance as part of a bedrock of our democracy - the privilege of voting in local, state and federal elections.”

The event centers around in-depth panel discussions and presentations on voting rights, legal framework for language assistance, demographic shifts in Alaska and strategy for future translations in the DOE’s language program. Speakers and panelists include: Liz Medicine Crow, President/CEO First Alaskans Institute, Natalie Landreth, attorney with Native American Rights Fund, and Tammy Patrick with the Democracy Fund, and Christy McCormick, Commissioner with U.S. Election Assistance Commission among others.

Josie Bahnke, state elections director said, “We are thrilled to gather Alaskans together to inform, provide language assistance training, and build stronger relationships with Alaska Native organizations and communities across the state.”

What: Division of Elections Language Summit
When: March 19th -20th 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Alaska Native Heritage Center – Main gathering area Address: 8800 Heritage Center Dr. Anchorage, AK 99504

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Alaska Division of Elections
www.elections.alaska.gov

 

Representations of fact and opinions in comments posted are solely those of the individual posters and do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

SitNews ©2018
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources. E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.