A counselor at Homer High School, Hampson primarily focused on the college-bound track; technical and vocational schools didn't register.

“I noticed that if a kid wanted to go to college, I was on top of it,” she said. “But about three years ago, I realized I was really neglecting a large portion of the kids I work with. Then I went to this conference about the jobs needed for the gas line. After that, I met a parent who said her kid only wanted to drive trucks, and bam! I was able to pull out all this information right away.”

That revelation is why Hampson put in an application to the Teacher Industry Externships, a program that allows teachers to spend two weeks working for mining, oil and related companies. The experience gives educators firsthand knowledge of the industry, which they take back to their classrooms.

“Our work force is aging,” said John Mooney, mechanical engineering supervisor for Veco Corp. and board member at Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium, an industry group that runs the program. “And there's a global shortage of workers in this industry. A third of our staff has no college education and is making more money than I am because of overtime. We need young people to fill those jobs.”

The program began last year, funded through a $75,000 federal grant aimed at encouraging young people to take jobs in the high-growth areas of energy, including the fields of oil, gas, mining and related sectors.

Industry funded the program this year, with 9 companies paying $3,000 for each sponsored teacher. Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. each sponsored a teacher, as did the mining operations of Kensington, Greens Creek, Red Dog and Usibelli Coal Mine.

The construction and engineering firm Veco Corp. sponsored one. Pebble Mine developer Northern Dynasty sponsored five. The mining company also sponsored a teacher who will work at the state Department of Natural Resources offices.

Some 14 teachers were selected from the 100 applicants. Each will receive a $2,000 stipend, and have the opportunity to receive three credits through the University of Alaska Anchorage.

At the orientation held in Anchorage June 4, teachers gave several reasons for being there.

Some, like Hampson and Anchorage's Lori Miller, offer career guidance to young teens. Others, including Wasilla's Jennifer VanAusdal and Fairbanks' John Petersen have a personal as well as professional interest in the processes.

Manokotak teachers Peter Wolf and Kirk Kofford jumped at the chance to offer more information about mining. Manokotak is about 25 miles southwest of Dillingham, located in the same region as the Pebble Mine project.

“There's almost an epidemic in apathy in trying to find some way to bring jobs that kids might be interested in,” Kofford said. “Having an industry like Northern Dynasty would be a great help, but kids are quite ignorant about the skills needed.”

Julia Smith, of East Anchorage High School, teaches math to both the higher learners and to those who need more help. Both groups constantly question why they need to learn the complex equations she puts on her board. This opportunity will help her and other math teachers better answer that.

“These teachers are exposed to 80 to 100 students throughout the school year,” Veco's Mooney said. “A teacher is someone who knows how to communicate with kids.”

Industry hopefully gets some new workers in a few years, thanks in part to the program. But companies in the program also get from the teachers a better idea how to connect with youth.

“We've got all these brochures and other information, but does it work?” said Michelle Brunner, with Northern Dynasty and a board member of the industry group Putting Alaska's Resources to Work. “What's going to excite them? You (teachers) can help us with that.”

Externs do a variety of jobs. VanAusdal will work in DNR's public information center and in the coal licensing section. She'll also do some site visits and attend public meetings relating to mining.

Fairbanks teacher Ron Gherman, working with ConocoPhillips, will make a movie relating the types of jobs the company needs.

Veco's extern, Anchorage's Julia Smith, will create a career path map, laying out the types of jobs and the training needed to get them. Veco will then share that information with schools and universities, as well as other organizations that steer youth into jobs.

Nancy Bahnke, a teacher at Nome Beltz High School, externed at Veco last year.

Veco encouraged last year's extern to interview someone in all areas of the operation so Bahnke could get a feel for the different aspects of the work, what it takes to get a specific job and how young people should prepare to enter into that area.

“The whole idea is to motivate, to develop Alaska resources to take over,” Mooney said.