Since 2014, Blackburn Mentoring has offered one-on-one mentoring and coaching for teens 13 and up, college students and young adults; in Alaska it works by video, and in-person sessions are available in Los Angeles. Begin with a free 20 minute intro call, then expect a mentor match within 2 business days.

Best for these situations:

A high school student who knows what to do but struggles to follow through on schoolwork and deadlines
A college student who is falling behind, far from home or lost on a large campus
A young adult who feels stuck after school, between jobs or living at home
Families who want weekly structure and parent updates without a weekly drive

Students, families and young adults anywhere in Alaska can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video, whether they live in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau or a community reached only by plane or boat. Sessions are scheduled in Alaska time, which is one hour behind the Pacific coast; the far western Aleutians run on Hawaii-Aleutian time, and we schedule for that too.

Distance is the whole story

Alaska is the largest state by far, and most of it is not connected by road. Juneau, the capital, cannot be reached by car from the rest of the state. Many towns and villages rely on small planes, ferries or seasonal routes. Even on the road system, the drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks takes most of a day.

For many Alaska families, video is not just convenient; it is the only practical option. A weekly session with one dedicated mentor, plus text or phone check-ins, needs only a quiet room and a reliable connection.

Where people live

Anchorage holds a large share of the state’s population, and the Mat-Su Valley to the north (Wasilla and Palmer) has grown into a big commuter region. Beyond that:

Fairbanks and the Interior, with military bases, a university campus and some of the coldest, darkest winters in the country.
Juneau and Southeast Alaska, a string of island and coastal towns where state government, fishing and summer tourism set the rhythm.
The Kenai Peninsula, from Soldotna and Kenai to Homer and Seward, with fishing, oil and tourism.
Rural and Alaska Native communities across the west and north, many of them off the road system.

How Alaskans make a living

Oil and gas on the North Slope have shaped the state’s finances for decades. Commercial fishing and seafood processing are major employers, especially in summer. Tourism peaks with cruise ships and summer visitors. The military has a large presence around Anchorage and Fairbanks, and federal, state and tribal government, health care and transportation (Anchorage is a major air cargo hub) round things out.

A lot of that work is seasonal or shift-based: two weeks on the Slope, a summer on a boat, a winter with less work. Young adults here often need help with money that arrives unevenly, and with goals that survive a season change. Our page on money and life skills covers the basics.

Light, dark and keeping a routine

Summer daylight runs nearly around the clock, and winter days are short. Sleep drifts in June; motivation can sag in December. A mentor helps build a weekly structure that does not depend on the sun: fixed session times, a few anchor habits and small, checkable steps.

School and college in Alaska

Public school districts here range from large urban systems to tiny village schools. Alaska also has a long tradition of correspondence and home-based programs, so many students learn from home for some or all of high school (see mentoring for homeschool students). After high school, the state’s public university system has campuses in several cities, along with community campuses and vocational programs.

Many Alaska students leave for college in the Lower 48, often thousands of miles from home and on a different clock. That jump is large. A mentor who already knows the student can keep working with them by video after they land, which is the idea behind college transition mentoring.

Who this fits

High school students, with a parent or guardian involved in the intro call, the goals and regular progress updates: mentoring for high school students.
College students in Alaska or away at school: mentoring for college students.
Young adults working seasonal jobs, starting careers or figuring out whether to stay or go: young adult mentoring.
Families who want one steady adult in their student’s corner: mentoring for families.

Pages for nearby areas

We do not have a separate page for an Alaska city yet. These are the closest regional pages, plus our general guide to online mentoring:

Every state we cover is listed on our mentoring by state page.

What growing up in Alaska is like for students and young workers

The Alaska year has two speeds. Summer is short and packed: teenagers and college students take jobs in fishing, seafood processing, tourism, construction and guiding, often working long hours while visitors and daylight are plentiful. Winter slows outdoor work, and school, sports travel and indoor routines take over. Games and activity trips frequently mean flying between towns, which can pull students out of class for days at a time.

Cost of living is high, especially for food, fuel and anything shipped in, and flights to the Lower 48 are a real budget line for families with a student away. Many young Alaskans move between Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer and their home communities more than once before settling. Early careers often start in rotational or seasonal jobs, the military, health care, aviation or the trades, and the once-a-year Permanent Fund Dividend gives many young adults their first lesson in planning around a single payment. Leaving for college Outside is common, and some students come home after the first year away to rethink the plan.

Common situations for Alaska families and young adults

A teenager coming off a demanding summer job who has to rebuild a school-year routine in late August.
A student from a small community deciding whether to start college in Anchorage or Fairbanks or fly much farther to a campus Outside.
A young adult on a two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off rotation who wants goals that do not stall during the weeks at camp.
A first-year student in the Lower 48 adjusting to a different time zone, a different climate and no easy trip home for a long weekend.
A recent graduate deciding how to use a dividend payment or a big summer paycheck when income will be thin in winter.

Most of Alaska keeps Alaska time, and the far western Aleutians use Hawaii-Aleutian time; every video session is set in whichever of the two you live by, and in-person meetings happen only in Los Angeles. The state has a long-running merit award, the Alaska Performance Scholarship, and Alaska students may qualify for regional tuition exchanges at public campuses in other western states. Requirements change, so check the official state and program sites, plus our guides to state merit scholarships and regional tuition discounts. For the move south, see college transition mentoring and homesickness in the first year.

Common questions

What time are sessions for clients in Alaska?

Sessions are set in Alaska time, one hour behind Pacific time. A 5 pm session in Anchorage is 6 pm for a mentor in Los Angeles. Clients in the western Aleutians are scheduled in Hawaii-Aleutian time.

Will this work with a rural internet connection?

Sessions need a stable video connection. If video is unreliable on a given day, mentors can switch to a phone call, and text and phone contact between sessions continues as usual.

My student is moving to the Lower 48 for college. Can the mentor follow them?

Yes. The same mentor keeps working with the student by video wherever they enroll, and with permission keeps parents in Alaska informed.

Do you have anyone in Alaska in person?

No. Our team is in Los Angeles, and Alaska clients work with us entirely online.

Get started

Want to talk about a student or young adult in Alaska? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.

Last updated November 2, 2026.

Book a free intro call Text us

Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.

Online Mentoring and Coaching in Alaska