Outer Coast is a nascent two-year liberal arts college on Sheldon Jackson Campus that just concluded the inaugural year of its undergraduate program. It’s expected to welcome its second class of students in August, completing its full class of 40 across the two years. Its mission is to provide world-class education to under-served students and inspire future leaders prepared to make virtuous change in their communities.
The institution is based on three pillars: academics, service/labor and self-governance. Founded by Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in 2015, it follows the Nunnian model of education — like Deep Springs College in California — though its medium is the rich community of Sitka, rather than the isolation of the desert.
Students take classes in Lingít language and culture, learning Indigenous thoughtways. Other classes include a human ecology class about seaweeds and the people who traditionally harvested them, a tribal government class taught by the chairwoman of Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and a pre-law class examining Federal Indian Law.
Students also engage in service, volunteering with organizations such as the Sitka Native Education Program, the ANB cemetery, Japonski Island Boathouse, and the Lingít Violin Program.
Outer Coast will run a Summer Seminar in July for high school juniors and seniors, and the undergraduate program will run from August 2025 until May 2026.
To learn more or attend one of Outer Coast’s community lunches, visit OuterCoast.org or email info@OuterCoast.org.
