Fairbanks Tall Timbers: Peggy Carlson

The Fairbanks Tall Timber Series was created to honor those who have served the Fairbanks community well. Join accomplished journalist Tom Hewitt either in person or via Zoom as he interviews these stalwart members of our community.

Life-long Alaskan Peggy Carlson was born in Anchorage and moved to Fairbanks in 1974, with stops in Ekwak, Homer, Ninilchik, Kodiak, and Kenya, Africa. She spent her 35-year career in education as an elementary teacher and Curriculum Director for the FNSB School District. After “retiring,” she worked as a District Improvement Coach for the Department of Education in southwest Alaska. In 1999, she received a BP Teacher of Excellence award, and in 2013, the Imagination Library designated her a Champion for Children. Peggy was a board member of Kids Voting North Alaska for twenty years and is currently the coordinator of Stars of Gold Readers, an organization promoting children’s literacy. Last year, they gave away 8,000 books to kids throughout Interior Alaska, and the highly successful Kids Literacy Farmer’s Market is now in its fifth year. Besides children’s literacy, Peggy’s other passion is Zimbabwean marimba. She teaches two beginning marimba classes and is a member of the performing group Serevende. Peggy believes playing music and playing with books make for a harmonious retirement!