About safe alaskans
Preventing Injuries, Promoting wellbeing, & Improving Safety for Alaskans
Center for Safe Alaskans began in 1998 as the Alaska Injury Prevention Center. A “Safe Communities America” grant helped the state’s top injury prevention experts give us our start. More than 25 years later, Safe Alaskans still works with and for Alaskans of every age.
Our core purpose is to prevent injuries, promote wellbeing, and improve safety for Alaskans.
How We Work
We value being innovative, collaborative, inclusive and respectful, data-driven, and strength-based.
We use a public health approach, and we lean on data, research, and community partners to guide the work.
Inclusive & Respectful
In 2015, the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition joined Safe Alaskans. Both teams believed young people stay safer when they feel connected, valued, and supported. Strengths like these are called protective factors because they work like a shock absorber when life gets hard. To reflect this broader purpose, we became the Center for Safe Alaskans.
Collaborative
We believe we do more when we share tools, research, and ideas. Our shared risk and protective factors work connects people who focus on different health and safety issues across Alaska. It shows how safety, health, and wellbeing are linked.
Innovative & Data-driven
Our work in health communications leans on collaboration and evidence. We saw early on that careful planning and testing health communications leads to better results; we’re home to neuromarketing lab – a tool used more frequently in Fortune 500 companies.
Strength-based
Much of our work helps people at two levels at once. You’ll find us helping a caregiver install a car seat correctly. You’ll also find us training the technicians who run those checks, or building support for safer booster seat laws.
Stories of Impact
“I walk to the bus every morning in the dark and home from the bus stop every evening in the dark. Being reflective is key! My son also does this and it makes me feel better knowing he has something reflective to make him more visible.”
– Feeback from a community member who received reflective tape from Safe Alaskans.
Every Fall and Winter, Safe Alaskans sends reflective tape to households throughout Alaska. This tape is free and plays an important role in helping people be seen in Alaska’s dark winters. Safe Alaskans also works with partners to share safety information with communities statewide.
“Very helpful, and I feel safe riding with my son on the road. Thank you!”
– Caregiver who received support through Safe Alaskans’ Child Passenger Safety Program.
Each year, Safe Alaskans supports children’s safety by providing over 400 car seat checks and distributing over 200 car seats to families in need. Safe Alaskans also trains new Child Passenger Safety Technicians, building support for communities statewide.
Our Team
Our Board
Funders + Partners
The Center for Safe Alaskans’ efforts have been generously funded by a variety of sources including:
Advisory + Collaborations
- Alaska Wellness Coalition, Evaluation and Communications Committees
- ANTHC EPI Scientific Advisory Committee
- Alaska Violent Death Reporting System Advisory Committee
- Healthy Alaskans 2020 Injury Prevention Indicator
- Healthy Voices Healthy Choices Leadership Team
- International Safety Media Awards
- Statewide Public Health Strategic Planning
- Shared Risk and Protective Factors Workgroup