Planned classes for the 2026 Season include:

• High School Math (several options available)
• Alaskan Literature
• Alaska Studies/Alaska History (Alaska’s geography, history & Alaska Native culture)
• Alaska Science (includes aspects of place based geology, ecology, & marine biology)
• Place Based P.E./Outdoor Survival (required elective)
• *Additional elective choices include Art/Native Arts, Photojournalism, Wood/Metal Working, CAD, Russian studies & Service Learning

***Are you interested in learning how to scuba dive? SOSCA instructor Jay Mihal is a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, trained to offer multiple level scuba classes. This may be an elective option during the 2026 program, depending on interest.

Naukati Bay, Alaska

Naukati is a small community of approximately 140 residents, located on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Nestled in a protected harbor between Big and Little Naukati Bay, the community sits along the Pacific Ocean near the historic Tlingit Tuxekan Village site. With its direct access to the rich waters of Sea Otter Sound—well known for excellent fishing—Naukati is proudly known as “The Gateway to Sea Otter Sound.”

Originally established as a logging camp, Naukati became a permanent settlement following a Department of Natural Resources land sale in the 1990s. Today, the community is made up of longtime island families and newer homesteaders who are drawn to its remote beauty and strong sense of community. Local employment is seasonal and diverse, including logging, aquaculture, tourism, and commercial fishing. 

Naukati offers abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation and exploration. Residents and visitors alike enjoy places such as Pebble and Community Beach and Otter Point Trail, as well as the nearby Sarkar Canoe Route and Deweyville Trail. The area is also known for world class fishing and its unique geological features—karst systems dot the north end of our island, and fossils can be found along local beaches and roadways--including Trochonema naukatineman, a species "discovered" by a Naukati student, and later named in honor of the community!

Hello and welcome to Sea Otter Sound Science Academy (SOSCA)! My name is Cassandra Christopherson, and I’m excited to learn alongside you as we explore the incredible coastal ecosystems of Southeast Alaska.

I’m a lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska—born in Wrangell and raised in and around Naukati Bay, where I still live today. For the first seven years of my life, I lived on a floathouse, experiencing the ocean as my backyard. Those early years shaped my deep connection to the marine environment and continue to inspire my passion for teaching through place-based, hands-on experiences.

I come to SOSCA also as the AK-TRAILS Homeschool/Correspondence Program Coordinator, where I work with families across Alaska to create personalized learning experiences. My background includes degrees in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Southeast, and a graduate certificate in Language and Literacy Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage. I’m also well on my way to a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist. I’ve taught in multigrade classrooms across Prince of Wales Island (including in Naukati), and have spent years supporting students through both traditional and homeschool settings. 

When I’m not working for our schools, you’ll likely find me outdoors with my family—boating, hiking, fishing, or beachcombing. I love collecting rocks, making jewelry, and exploring local geology, archaeology, history, and culture. I’m especially passionate about helping students see the connections between the land, the ocean, and the people who have lived here for generations.

I’m looking forward to an exciting season of discovery with you—in the forests, on the shore, and beyond!

Dear SOSCA Applicant,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  After a 32-year career as a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman, Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) and Foreign Area Officer (FAO), I retired from the U.S. Navy in May 2024, moved to Prince of Wales Island and became the secondary teacher for Naukati in August 2024.  Since then, I have been teaching all subjects to middle school and high school, and I have also been able to support additional electives for Russian studies, Computer Aided Design, Hunter Education, as well as various sports activities.  Now that we are offering the Sea Otter Sound Coastal Academy program, I will be your primary teacher and look forward to providing a solid core of Alaska-centric studies as well as a very robust slate of electives.  Please reach out to us early in the process of your application to determine if our program can meet your interests.  

If you are interested in learning more about me, I can offer that I was inducted as a plebe in 1992 at the U.S. Naval Academy where I eventually became a Trident scholar, NCAA Division 1 Tennis Captain, and Rhodes Scholar finalist.  I graduated in 1996 as a Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Honors English and language studies minor in Russian.  Commissioned as a SWO, I deployed throughout the world in many different roles and on various platforms to include destroyers, assault craft, minehunters, and aircraft carriers.  

In between these sea duty assignments, the Olmsted Foundation selected me in 2001 to be the first Olmsted scholar to attend Moscow State University, Russia, where I received a master’s degree in Russian Philology in 2004.  In 2008, the U.S. Navy redesignated me as a FAO and Russian specialist, to serve as an advisor as well as an interpreter and translator.  I was also responsible for building cooperation with multiple navies and coast guards, including those on the Black and Caspian Seas and especially with the Russian, Hellenic, Azerbaijani, and Danish maritime forces.  After serving all my FAO assignments at various posts overseas, my final station was at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. as a military advisor to support U.S. security assistance in Europe and the Caucasus. 

While I have only been teaching in Naukati for two years, I have had many chances to teach, train, mentor, and lead throughout my military service.  I have also been blessed with incredible educational opportunities.  I have written books on the poetry of Charles Williams and writings of Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov (written in Russian) as well as published a commemorative photography book on the 65th Anniversary of Victory Day in St. Petersburg, Russia.  I have also labored for over two decades on a colossal project about history of Holy Rus that I hope to complete soon.  I am also a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, pilot, diesel mechanic, wood/metal worker, photographer and publisher. 

We are so grateful here in Naukati for your interest in the Sea Otter Sound Coastal Academy.  I believe this will be an incredible educational experience should you choose to pursue this challenge.  I look forward to meeting you and supporting your quest for the good, the beautiful and the true here on Prince of Wales Island!