ACT Awards $125,000 to Advance Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Across Alaska
Addy Peters is the director of prevention strategies of Alaska Children’s Trust
This fall, five Alaska organizations will each receive a $25,000 grant from ACT to advance primary prevention efforts addressing child sexual abuse (CSA) in communities across our state.
Funding will reach communities from Bristol Bay and Sitka to the Interior, North Slope, Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Kodiak. Together, these awards demonstrate a statewide commitment to preventing child sexual abuse—by talking openly about prevention, learning what works, and taking action to prevent harm before it happens.
Addy Peters, Project Director of Prevention Strategies at ACT, noted the growing momentum for CSA prevention across Alaska and said she was encouraged to see a diverse range of organizations and projects receiving awards, united by shared principles such as centering culture, building protective factors, elevating lived experience, and empowering adults to protect children.
In the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas, Cook Inlet Tribal Council will integrate CSA primary prevention education into existing Family Wellness services, including parenting classes, home visiting, and family support programs. This project will equip parents and caregivers with culturally-attuned prevention information and practical tools for creating safer environments.
“Together, these investments across Alaska represent more than $125,000 in grant funds; they represent five opportunities to move us towards our shared vision of an Alaska where every child grows up safe from sexual abuse, surrounded by strong families, coordinated systems, and communities grounded in culture and shared responsibility.”
In Sitka, Youth Advocates of Sitka will focus on meeting youth where they are, and addressing online safety, boundaries and consent, exploitation, and other risks through youth programming and community education, while also strengthening the ability of professionals to identify and respond to concerns with confidence.
Across Bristol Bay, the Bristol Bay Native Association will build readiness for prevention through outreach and facilitated community conversations. The Seeds of Hope project will engage parents, caregivers, Tribal partners, schools, youth-serving organizations, and community members in strengthening protective factors and ensuring child safety is recognized as a shared community responsibility.
The Fairbanks-based Resource Center for Parents and Children will expand prevention education throughout the Interior and North Slope, bringing the Darkness to Light evidence-informed training and outreach to hub communities and rural villages. The project will help adults recognize warning signs, respond appropriately to disclosures, understand reporting responsibilities, and create safer spaces for children.
Finally, in Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Kodiak, the YMCA of Alaska Safe Spaces YMCA project will examine the physical environments, policies and systems surrounding children, including supervision practices, staff training, safety procedures, and family communication, with the goal of creating a consistent and sustainable approach to child sexual abuse primary prevention.
Together, these investments across Alaska represent more than $125,000 in grant funds; they represent five opportunities to move us towards our shared vision of an Alaska where every child grows up safe from sexual abuse, surrounded by strong families, coordinated systems, and communities grounded in culture and shared responsibility.
ACT would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the organizations that applied for these grants and that carry the work of prevention forward day after day.
Read more about the statewide Prevent Together Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Plan here or visit www.alaskachildrenstrust.org/csa-prevention.