Anchorage Peer Leader Navigators
Learn more about Peer Leader Navigators at their website:
Who are PLNs?
PLNs are bilingual and multilingual people in Anchorage who have been trained to find and evaluate reliable information. They help people find the services they need.
PLN BACKGROUND:
In 2013, The Anchorage Health Literacy Collaborative (TAHLC) partners teamed up with Alaska Literacy Program adult students to empower each other with reliable information pipelines and connections to community healthcare providers. Peer Leader Navigators (PLNs) serve as information beacons in their communities, connecting their friends and families to vital health tips and community resources.
The Peer Leader Navigator (PLN) program trains multilingual people to be health and wellness information promoters within their familial, social, and cultural groups. PLNs become empowered with research methods and access to trustworthy information. They, in turn, empower their communities.
As a result of this initiative, educators, community partners, and healthcare providers are better able to meet traditionally underrepresented community members where they are; helping to provide vital information and services across Alaska.
In 2022-2023, ALP received a grant from the Alaska Department of Labor to expand this critical program into four new regions: Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Valdez, Fairbanks, and Juneau. This pilot seeks to train new PLNs from these regions to do for their regions what Anchorage PLNs do for theirs.
Anchorage PLNs - Who We Are
Anchorage Peer Leader Navigators (PLNs) explain what the program does, and why it is important to them and the people they help.
Anchorage PLNs
If you know someone who would make a great PLN, please encourage them to sign up for our program at AnchoragePLNs.org/signup.
PLNs receive ongoing training to hone their skills and stay up-to-date on public health news. PLNs can stay connected to the program indefinitely after initial training (and many do!).
Current PLN Languages:
Amharic አማርኛ
Arabic عرب
Dinka Thuɔŋjäŋ
Français
Hmong
Japanese 日本語
Kinyarwanda
Korean 한국어
Lingala
Nuer
Russian РУССКИЙ
Sāmoa
Español
Tongan
Turkish Türkçe
Ukrainian Украïнська
PLNs Help with Critical Services
Health Information
Vaccine appointments, find reliable health advice, manage /prevent chronic disease
Rent & Mortgage
Rent assistance, emergency housing, landlord/tenant guidance
Food Supplies
Access food banks, deliver food bank food, sign up for food related public assistance
School & Childcare
Understand ASD policies, find good childcare, early intervention, general parent support
Job Help & Small Business
Fill out job applications, prepare for interview, small business support through ACLT partnership.
Information Literacy
Understand important letters, emails, or processes/systems, help file taxes