South Anchorage students document Arctic Winter Games through new Youth Ambassador program

Two student media ambassadors from South Anchorage High School told a Juneau audience they helped document the 2026 Arctic Winter Games as part of Team Alaska’s new Youth Ambassador program.

Adele Matthews, a senior, and Julia Samuel, who said they are members of the school’s film program, said their duties included creating sizzle reels, making short social videos and conducting interviews to capture athletes’ experiences. "Through these opportunities, we were able to get noticed by the Arctic Winter Games and were offered the position of being the youth ambassador," Samuel said.

Their video excerpt included interviews with senior figures — identified in the clip as the US ambassador to Canada and the president of the Arctic Winter National Committee — who emphasized exchanges among Arctic countries and the value of youth connections. The US ambassador to Canada (as featured in the clip) said, "Our job is to create the future for our kids," and encouraged support for youth-focused international exchange through sport.

The students said pin trading, attending a truth and reconciliation ceremony and traveling to events helped them tell stories about cultural exchange and athlete camaraderie. They described the program as a way to bring rural athlete experiences back to families and online followers.

Organizers framed the program as a first for Alaska in the Youth Ambassador initiative and noted it addressed prior funding or logistical barriers that had kept Alaska from participating. The students' work, presenters said, made it easier for families and communities to stay connected to athletes during the games.