HUMAN

Name: Dana Augustine

Age: 32

Residence: Colorado Springs, CO

Occupation:  Curriculum and instruction coordinator

Years involved with Iditarod: 5

Iditarod role: Iditarod education department faculty as well as trail volunteer

Current Location: Galena, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 15, 2020
Temperature: 28F/Outdoors

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I got involved with Iditarod when I first heard about it through a family friend. I started teaching it in my classroom and in 2016 I came up as a finalist for Iditarod’s “teacher on the trail.” From there I became involved with the Iditarod education faculty, putting on conferences in Alaska as well as the lower 48. I also am out on the trail in Galena, Alaska volunteering as kind of as a trail person.

What is your Why?..Why are you here today and involved in Iditarod?

I’m here today in involved with Iditarod because I think it’s so exciting to come up to Alaska and have new teachers come up here and get to know them. A lot of them, it’s their very first time coming to Alaska so they get to experience the race. They get to learn a lot of new curriculum and lesson plan ideas.
I also am here today and involved because I really love supporting the mushers and their causes and being with them on the race. And then just coordinating at our checkpoint has been a lot of fun. It’s also been a lot of fun meeting new people. I’ve met people from almost every state coming up here. So that’s another reason why I’m here today.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was when I was a fifth grade teacher. I brought Iditarod into my classroom and a lot of students didn’t know about the race or what happened during the race. A lot of them were extremely excited and really engaged in the lessons that I was doing, and it was something that even my most struggling learners loved. And they would always come to school and be extremely happy about their musher, extremely happy about just learning about the Iditarod. But then also it was something that I could connect to standards with my classroom and really support their growth within their school year and their growth within their social emotional skills. What I know for sure in life is family is everything.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is family is everything.