Lilly Conferences and Institutes have provided opportunities for the presentation of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for over 25 years. Participants come from a multitude of disciplines and from throughout the US and from abroad. Since 2006, Alaska now has its own annual Lilly institute that takes place in early March of each year. The Lilly Arctic Institute on Innovations & Excellence in Teaching is unique in its focus on teaching and learning within the contexts of Alaska Native, rural, and other northern environs while at the same time offering an opportunity for Alaskans and others to learn from evidence-based practice in higher education and training from other United States and world institutions and educators. The Lilly Arctic is unique in its celebration of adult learning theory and practice, authentic learning, transformative learning, place-based learning while also drawing on the best practices of distance education and classroom instructional practice. The Lilly Arctic is unique and its active guidance from Alaska Native Elder/teachers and mentors. It is unique, too, because of its definition of traditional education as that being from the learner’s perspective and not necessarily that of the instructor or institution’s perspective.   Finally, the Lilly Arctic offers an opportunity for Alaskan educators and trainers to build and strengthen connections to the community of adult learners worldwide.