We talk a lot about our the pioneering, independent spirit of America. It’s something that we’re very proud of as Americans. But what’s clear is that, up here, it’s not just a spirit, it's not just a slogan -- it’s a way of life. And it is out of necessity. You’ve got to be self-reliant up here. You can’t just drive down to the shopping mall to get what you need. Help, if you need it, is a long way away. This far north, everybody has to look out for each other. And even with all those efforts, there’s still isolation and there’s poverty, and it can be harsh.
And that means that you depend on each other. It makes family and community and tradition all the more important. I grew up in Hawaii, which obviously the weather is a little different. (Laughter.) But there’s a similarity -- what’s called the Aloha spirit there. And I know you have the same spirit here -- the notion that we're all in this together. And it's all the more profound in a place above the Arctic Circle.
We know that Alaska is big -- and sometimes I have to describe for people in the Lower 48, if you dropped it on the Lower 48, it would stretch from Florida to California, from the Dakotas to Texas. That's how big it is. So the people of Alaska can be just as different as all the differences that exist across America. But even though we all look different, and come from different places, and believe in different things -- we all stand united around some similar values. We all want a chance at opportunity. We all want to be able to pass down our traditions and our culture and our language to our kids. We all want the same chance at the American Dream as everybody else.
We believe that every community deserves access to great jobs. And that’s why, to boost commerce in the Arctic, and to maintain America’s status as an Arctic power, we’ve called for the accelerated replacement of the Coast Guard’s heavy-duty icebreaker, and we’re planning for the construction of more icebreakers. And I'm urging Congress to make sure we’ve got the resources to do this. To boost tourism, I’m asking Congress to speed up maintenance and modernization of our national parks in time for the Centennial next year -- including right here in Alaska.
We believe every child deserves a shot at a great education. One of the initiatives I’m proudest of is something we call ConnectEd -- and it’s a program we started to close the technology gap in our schools and connect 99 percent of America’s students to high-speed Internet by the year 2018. (Applause.) And if you want to see the difference this can make in a child’s life, look at Nanwalek, on Alaska’s southern coast. It is remote -- like a lot of Alaskan communities, you can only get there by boat or by plane. But today, with the help of Apple, all 80 of its students -- most of whom are Alaska Natives -- now learn in classrooms with fast Internet and iPads and digital content. Most of these kids don’t have Internet at home. But in the classroom, they’ve got the tools to compete with any child around the world.
And I know you’re taking advantage of this program here in Kotzebue, with wireless Internet and 3D printing. And that’s great -- because that’s what we want for all these kids. We want nothing less than the best. And as President, one of the reasons I'm here is to tell you that I'm behind those efforts. I want to make sure these young people know we care about them and we're fighting for them. (Applause.)
We believe every American deserves access to quality, affordable health care. And since I signed the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- (laughter) -- we signed it five and a half years ago. Since then, 16 million Americans have gotten covered. More than 18,000 Alaskans have been able to purchase private plans through HealthCare.gov. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Walker and Lieutenant Governor Mallott, another 17,000 are projected to gain access to health insurance under Medicaid next year. So we appreciate that. (Applause.) And that means more Alaskans can get things like mammograms and physicals. And it means fewer Alaskans will go broke just because they get sick. It will save this state an estimated $20 million in costs of care for people who can’t afford to pay for it. So it's going to make a difference.
We also believe in being good stewards of our land and our planet for the next generation. And that’s what I want to spend the rest of my time talking about. One of the reasons I came up here is to really focus on what is probably the biggest challenge our planet faces. If there’s one thing that threatens opportunity and prosperity for everybody, wherever we live, it’s the threat of a changing climate.
I don’t need to tell people here in Alaska what’s happening. Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to make the rest of the country more aware of a changing climate, but you’re already living it. You’ve got longer, more dangerous fire seasons in Alaska. Thawing permafrost that threatens homes and infrastructure. Faster glacier melt. Rising seas. Melting sea ice that contributes to some of the fastest coastal erosion in the world.
I met Alaska Natives whose way of life that they’ve practiced for centuries is in danger of slipping away. On Monday, one Alaska Native woman told me she doesn’t want her way of life to go on the Endangered Species List. And I’ve talked with folks whose villages are literally in danger of slipping away.
So on my way here, I flew over the island of Kivalina, which is already receding into the ocean. That’s what Millie was talking about. Waves sweep across the entire island at times, from one side clear across the other. And for many of those Alaskans, it’s no longer a question of if they’re going to relocate, but when.