The Alaska on-site scheduled for July 17-23 in Fairbanks and Kotzebue and the Iceland program scheduled for October 22-29 are moving forward as planned. Canadian program leads are working to reschedule the Canada on-site for January 2023 in the Yukon Territory. Find the latest COVID-19 program guidelines here.
All project partners remain committed to the ARENA program and aim for delivery in Canada in May 2022; Alaska in July 2022; and Iceland in October 2022. We have and will continue to look for ways to provide supplementary virtual and in-person opportunities for the program and participants (e.g. webinars, conferences, professional development). We will continue to be responsive to COVID-19 concerns and realities of participants, partners, and communities, and are actively planning for risk mitigation, safe program delivery, maintaining a cohort representative of the Circumpolar Arctic, and navigating vaccine complexities.
The health and well-being of people and communities in the Arctic is paramount, and with increasing uptake in vaccinations, we are planning to host on-site sessions in 2022: Nunavut in May; Fairbanks and Kodiak Alaska in July; and Iceland in October. We are working diligently to identify the right safety measures and protocols, and will monitor and plan in the coming months how to move forward safely, mitigating COVID-19 risks for cohort members and the communities we hope to visit.
All of the 2020 Cohort members have been offered spots for the 2022 delivery, but we recognize that circumstances have changed. We are re-opening the recruitment and application process to November 26, 2021 and seeking candidates who are living in the circumpolar Arctic, passionate about energy, and wanting to advance their community or region’s project, to apply now. The current cohort includes individuals from the United States, Canada, Russia, and Greenland, and half of the cohort identifies as Indigenous. We encourage diverse applicants.
All project co-leads remain committed to the program and delivering the in-person networking, mentoring, and community site visits which are integral to its success. We will monitor the situation and remain in communication with the incredible cohort of ARENA participants and project partners.
We thank everyone for your patience and support. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns: uaf-arena@alaska.edu.
Mahsi’, thank you.
After reviewing the scheduling options for the 2021-22 ARENA program in light of the global pandemic, the ARENA steering committee has selected the following:
Schedule
Canadian on-site: May 2022
U.S. on-site: July 2022
Iceland on-site: October 2022
Justification
Due to continued uncertainty around Covid-19 and prohibitive travel restrictions that remain in place world wide, the technical leads believe postponing the start of the program to May 2022 is both the safest and most realistic option. It will allow more time for vaccines to roll out and travel restrictions to be adjusted to what will hopefully be a safer travel environment. This also gives time for communities to see how reopening goes and adjust to the idea of welcoming outside visitors again. A May 2022 start also allows us to maintain the original order of the on-sites which is important for curriculum continuity and adequate spacing between programs.
Although we are saddened to delay the program another full year, we strongly believe this is the best and safest option. We will continue to share northern energy related opportunities as they arise and keep you posted regarding program developments. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out. The program co-leads are here to help support you and connect you to other resources and information about community energy projects in the north.
Thank you again for your on-going patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
ARENA Co-Leads & Steering Committee
COVID-19 continues to have an impact around the world, on lives, communities, economies, and programming. While we were hopeful in the spring that infection numbers would be minimal and travel restrictions would be lifted by the fall, it is not the case. It is with reluctance but necessity that we are postponing the on-site delivery of the ARENA program to 2021. The health and well-being of people and communities in the Arctic is paramount.
If travel restrictions are lifted by the spring, if communities are open to visitors, and if traveling does not compromise the health of the cohort in leaving or returning to their homes, we will move forward with the three on-site sessions in 2021: Nunavut in May; Fairbanks and Kodiak Alaska in July; and Iceland in October. We will monitor the situation and remain in communication with the incredible cohort of ARENA participants and project partners.
Iceland has provided leadership and support under its Arctic Council chairmanship to this important initiative, and they will continue to do so in 2021. Canada, the United States, and Gwich’in Council International also remain committed to the program and delivering the in-person networking, mentoring, and community site visits which are integral to its success. We will continue to collaborate with the Russian Federation, who are taking on the Arctic Council chairmanship in 2021 and sit on the project Steering Committee, to promote and advance this initiative.
We thank everyone for your patience and support. We will release further updates when there is news to share.
Due to the continued uncertainty over when international borders will reopen and the travel restrictions to both Nunavut and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), we have made the difficult decision to further delay the ARENA Canadian onsite.
The Canadian on-site in Cambridge Bay is now scheduled to begin on Sunday 09 May 2021 and finish on 16 May 2021. It will be the third and final on-site of the program.
Thank you for your patience during this time of continued uncertainty. The health and safety of our participants, host communities, and organizers are our top priorities. We are striving to ensure we deliver a premiere, yet safe, knowledge sharing program. We will keep you updated as the program evolves in response to COVID-19.
We thank everyone for their patience and support.
Mahsi’, thank you.
ARENA Project leads
The in-person sessions of ARENA are the highlight of the program, and we are working to reschedule the Canadian on-site which was originally planned for May 2020. We intend to keep the location – Nunavut – the same, and are looking at two options:
Additionally, we have decided to postpone the Alaska on-site originally scheduled for July 2020. We made this decision in recognition of COVID-19-related complications, particularly the strong likelihood that in July, travel restrictions may still be in place and that holding the workshop then could place undue strain, pressure, and risk on remote communities and participants. The planning committee is tentatively planning on March 2021 for the reschedule of the Alaska on-site.
While we hope that we will be able to begin our program in-person in September, it is hard to know whether COVID-19 will still be impacting travel and what, if any, restrictions will be in place. The safety and well-being of communities and people are our top priorities, and we will monitor updates in the coming month with a plan to decide in June on whether a September on-site is feasible. In the meantime, we are working on bringing the cohort together in other ways and looking very much forward to when we can meet in person.
We are committed to delivering ARENA, and the in-person networking, mentoring, and community site visits are integral elements of the program. We will be working over the coming months to identify options and a revised delivery schedule.
ARENA is about effectively achieving balance between economic viability, energy security, environmental and public health concerns in the circumpolar Arctic region. COVID-19 is already demonstrating that we need to not only protect those in small and remote communities but ensure there are the necessary supports and infrastructure in place. Renewable and secure energy options are a part of sustained improvements and we look forward to sharing the ARENA cohort, projects, and news in coming months.
We thank everyone for their patience and support.
Mahsi’, thank you.
ARENA Project leads
