Information Insights

Morningside Hospital blog earns Alaska history award

January 11th, 2012

The Lost Alaskans: Morningside Hospital History Project has received the Alaska Historical Society‘s 2011 Pathfinder Award. According to the Society’s website:

The Pathfinder Award is given to an individual or several individuals who have indexed or prepared guides to Alaska historical material that has not been accessible. The 2011 Pathfinder award goes to the Lost Alaskans: Morningside Hospital History Project, and its primary researchers Ellen Ganley, Meg Greene, Karen Perdue, Robin Renfroe, Niejse Steinkruger, Sally Mead, Deborah Smith, Marylou Elton, and Vivian Hamilton. This group has worked to uncover the documentary record of mental health care during the years in which Alaskans were institutionalized out of state at Morningside Hospital. Their work not only helps reveal the past, but has had an impact on the lives of living family members seeking to understand what happened to their relatives.

Mary Pruitt

July 26th, 2011

Mary Pruitt is an administrative intern who works with the administrative support team, helps with accounting document retention review and scanning, and provides project support as needed. She has been working with Information Insights since August 2010. Recently, she has been involved with projects involving ALPHA, AMHTA,  and ATCA.

She is a student at Monroe High School, and is involved with the football program, NHS, Leo’s Club, and Student Government. She also works with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She hopes to major in education in college.

Just another day at the office…

June 6th, 2011

Two members of Information Insights facilitation team, Brenda and Jess Holden, pitched their tent at the Girl Scout Encampment last week. Jess worked with girls to explore the idea of voice in leadership and community, whether it is a troop, schools, or towns. She facilitated activities and conversation to explore ways girls want to contribute their voice in Girl Scouting and what that might look like. Brenda worked with a cross section of adult volunteers simultaneously to explore how Girl Scouts might improve volunteer support as well as gather ideas from adult volunteers on how the Council could shape the future state of the democratic voice of volunteers in the Alaska Council.

At ASD Forum students help plan for budget cuts

November 6th, 2010

Information Insights and Agnew::Beck worked with the Student Advisory Board for the Anchorage School District to gather input on upcoming budget cuts from the people who may be impacted most – the students themselves. Senior consultant Cady Lister was impressed by the serious reflection the students gave the issue when asked what the district should do. “It was a great meeting,” said Lister. “We had 51 engaged, intelligent, and thoughtful middle and high schoolers thinking about what they value in education, what being educated means, as well as ways to fill the budget shortfall.”

See the story on KTUU »

That’s worth more than my house!

August 26th, 2010

Senior Consultants Sylvan Robb and Jana Peirce got their hands on a lot of gold at yesterday’s tour of the Kinross Fort Knox mine outside Fairbanks. At yesterday’s gold price, the 22 pound mini-bar was worth $318,116.21. Fort Knox has grown substantially since the economic impact assessment Information Insights conducted in 2001. The mine now employs over 500 people in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Most interesting fact of the day: the mine has to crush and process 1 ton of very low-grade ore to make just $20 so efficiency is important in every aspect of the operation. The company also touts its impressive safety record: over 3.5 million consecutive man-hours worked without a lost-time accident.

Fairbanks Community Economic Development Survey Launched

July 2nd, 2010

Interior residents will have a chance to share their insights on the Fairbanks economy through an effort sponsored by the Fairbanks North Star Borough.  The web based survey, which went live today, will allow Fairbanksans to share their thoughts and insights on the area’s economy for the Fairbanks Community Economic Development Visioning Project.  Interested members of the public can complete the survey online until Friday, July 23. Survey questions are designed to solicit ideas from local residents on what’s working well in our economy, what might be upcoming opportunities and what barriers could stand in the way.  Continue Reading »

New Web Intern: Emma Funk

June 4th, 2010

Emma Funk is the new web intern for Information Insights.  She is a rising junior at West Valley High School, as well as a part-time student at UAF.  She enjoys photography, theatre, creative writing and kayaking. Over the course of the summer, she will be participating in Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre‘s youth production of Hamlet, as well as playing Juliet in the summer mainstage show, Measure for Measure. One of her original essays appeared in The Best Teen Writing of 2009.  Continue Reading »

Bristol Bay Region Visioning Project

April 28th, 2010

Information Insights will be helping Bristol Bay residents develop a region-wide vision. Five regional organizations – BBNC, BBNA, BBEDC, BBHA and BBAHC – are partnering to make the project happen. Information Insights will work to engage residents in every village in the region through community meetings to be held this fall and winter. At the meetings, Information Insights facilitators will seek to identify the underlying principles that unify the people of the region in order to develop a common vision that will give voice to their shared values. The visioning process will be transparent, neutral and inclusive for all residents of the region. Consensor™ audience response technology will be used to ensure that all participants have an equal voice. Lead project staff at Information Insights are senior consultants Sherry Modrow and Cady Lister and project consultants Jane Angvik and Dr. Steve Langdon. Other project staff include Brenda Holden, Chris Rogers and Jessica Holden. Jana Peirce will develop a project website and social media presence to reach out to younger Bristol Bay area residents.

Scenic Byways Project Completed

March 25th, 2010

Information Insights just completed a media kit for the Alaska Scenic Byways program. See a clip of the final video on YouTube. The video is both a marketing and education piece on Alaska’s most scenic byways and includes footage from all eleven byways. The video is part of an integrated communication plan that Information Insights recently completed for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to help increase awareness of the state’s 16-year-old byways program.  Continue Reading »

Sylvan Robb certified mediator

March 9th, 2010

Sylvan is a Senior Consultant with Information Insights. She specializes in survey design, statistical analysis, and qualitative analysis with a special interest in child welfare, substance abuse, and health issues. She recently completed a 40-hour course in mediation. As a certified mediator, she is now trained to structure and facilitate mediation processes which help parties present their issues, concerns and proposals in ways that get results and avoid or move them beyond impasses. The training, provided by Mares-Dixon and Associates of Colorado, also addressed effective communication skills for working in a highly emotional or toxic atmosphere, and covered ways to manage power issues and to structure sound, realistic, and mutually acceptable settlements. Congratulations Sylvan!