A Partnership for Alaska’s Tech Future

Before there was broadband, WiFi, esports, or even the internet, Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA) was partnering with area schools with a goal of making new connections – both literally and figuratively.

Launched in 1953, the co-op has long held educational initiatives as a top priority and that has not changed in the nearly 70 years since. What has changed is the technology available to both MTA and students, as well as the strategies aimed at ensuring all students in the area have a tech-forward future.

As an MTA partner through countless initiatives over the years, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) has seen how public-private partnerships can be mutually valuable—with students reaping the most important benefits—and it’s been more than a typical vendor/buyer relationship. 

MTA points to public-private partnerships such as this as a unique way to support and foster student interest in areas like STEM education, providing hands-on ways to keep students engaged even outside of the classroom.

In spring 2020, MTA and MSBSD announced a new partnership, supported by the Mat-Su Health Foundation, that would provide eligible district families access to reduced-cost internet. The partnership came at a crucial time for residents of the Mat-Su Valley—students in particular—as schools and businesses were shuttered in favor of remote work and education. Families who were unable to afford reliable, high-speed internet suddenly found themselves in a challenging situation.

“The pandemic brought about an immediate need for distance learning and for our communities to work together to enable that,” Randy Trani, Superintendent of MSBSD, says.

With MSBSD having many different locations, sizes and needs, this step in the two organizations’ partnership shows how MTA has gone about supporting thousands of end-users—and its ability to do the same for all types of businesses.

“We’ve been proud to help the district leverage our network to benefit students and their families, with our team finding truly creative solutions to get them connected,” says Michael Burke, CEO of MTA. “Whether it’s a business, nonprofit, school, co-op or government entity, it is incumbent upon all of us to do everything in our power to make sure all Alaskans have access to reliable, high-speed internet.”

While last year’s crisis required an all-hands-on-deck approach to basic needs, previous elements of MTA’s partnership with MSBSD focused on the building blocks of technology education and career preparation—partnerships that MTA officials say can be emulated by other organizations throughout Alaska.

Along with collaborating with the MSBSD on their annual Tech Expo in recent years, MTA earlier this year was named the official tech partner of the MSBSD’s annual Girls Who Code Camp, which aims to close the gender gap in tech (with women only representing 25% of the field in Alaska) by inspiring and educating young women. For its part, MTA provided equipment, facility tours, and Chief Operating Officer Wanda Tankersley as a keynote speaker.

“College-aged alumni of Girls Who Code are declaring majors in computer science and related fields at 15 times the U.S. average. This is a partnership that will have a lasting impact on the students in the Mat-Su Borough School District. We hope to see more and more businesses recognizing the importance and value that their organizations can bring to these types of initiatives,” Tankersley said.

One of the most unique partnerships between these two organizations involves esports (or electronic sports). After MTA launched its annual Gaming Tournament in 2015, interest in competitive gaming expanded throughout the state, with Alaska’s first high school esports league forming in 2018 and MSBSD formally naming MTA its official esports partner in 2019.

As part of this effort, MTA has provided strategic support to MSBSD technology staff and students, enabling them to prepare, train and compete in the esports arena. MTA has also staffed its office with esports-related student interns selected from the district, provided students with free access to gaming equipment and more.

When one zooms out to look at the more macro effects of public-private partnerships like this, evidence has shown that public-private partnerships in education often increase the efficiency of programs and the transparency of public expenditures, improve service delivery (particularly to underserved populations), allow faster responses and overcome public sector restrictions.

Additionally, with 26% of students in Alaska being chronically absent, public-private partnership can play a major role in helping districts overcome this challenge. Through the development and investment in programs that empower both the students and the staff, such as esports and Girls Who Code, more students will be engaged in school.

Ultimately, MTA has viewed its role as stepping in to provide benefits that other organizations aren’t necessarily able to bring to the table, particularly with the ease, expertise and equipment that a major entity like MTA can. 

“The theme woven throughout all of these initiatives is accelerating and transforming how the next generation learns and interacts with technology,” MTA Public Relations Manager Jessica Gilbert said. “We’ve strived to aggressively respond to the increased demand for public-private partnerships and deliver innovative solutions to make people’s and businesses’ connections better and stronger.”