LIHU‘E — About 100 school children got out of school Tuesday and got to show what they learned this year to parents, high-tech companies and educators at a celebration for the inaugural school year of Team Tech Kaua‘i Adopt-a-School. Team
LIHU‘E — About 100 school children got out of school Tuesday and got to show what they learned this year to parents, high-tech companies and educators at a celebration for the inaugural school year of Team Tech Kaua‘i Adopt-a-School.
Team Tech Kaua‘i partners 19 high-tech and engineering companies, many with government research and development contracts, with the state Department of Education’s 15 Kaua‘i public schools to beef up the science, math and technology curricula.
Another aim of the program is to get students interested in related high-tech careers for these companies on Kaua‘i and elsewhere.
“With all these jobs on Kaua‘i, many of them science-related, students would be able to return home to work. Instead of importing people from the Mainland, we can offer them jobs and an opportunity,” said Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste.
The celebration was yesterday morning at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. Adopt-A-School kicked off Oct. 29, 2003.
One of the highlights of the celebration was a demonstration of electric cars that were designed and built by students at all three high schools and raced on Ford Island, O‘ahu, in the eighth annual Electron Marathon, sponsored by Hawaiian Electric Company.
The 2003 Electron Marathon involved 30 schools from around the state. On Kaua‘i, students in selected classes at Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i and Waimea high schools learned computer programs to conceptualize, design and build their vehicles, which run about 30 mph and are powered by two, 12-volt car batteries.
Documentation about the vehicles was uploaded to a Web site the students also designed and built in classes.
High-tech workers participated in job shadowing, career fairs and science fairs to teach middle and high school students about how they use science and technology in their daily lives.
Elementary school students worked on hands-on experiments and science projects such as star watches, using surveying tools, a bridge-building contest, low-ropes courses, testing for ciguatera fish poison, and recycling for Earth Day.
More than 100 educators, parents and reps from high-tech companies were on hand to learn what students from other schools learned. Organizers also announced new partnerships for school year 2004—05.
“One of our missions is to have a good economy — it’s more than dollars and cents; it’s to have a good quality of life for our families and out children,” said Baptiste.
“What good is the educational system if it doesn’t prepare your for what’s happening on the island?”
He added that hands-on, project-based learning seems more interesting to students.
“I think because they’re here and there are so (many) talented people in science and technology, students now have an opportunity to learn,” said Daniel Hamada, Kaua‘i DOE superintendent.
“Our schools look forward to continuing this positive relationship with the high-tech industry that affords our island’s students from grades K through 12 with valuable math and science learning opportunities,” Hamada said earlier.
He added that about a year ago, an agreement was made between the DOE, County of Kaua‘i and a group of high-tech companies to support the schools with math and science standards.
“The great thing about high-tech is that they’re really motivated, and a lot of them are looking to do projects and community involvement already,” said Beth Tokioka, director of the county Office of Economic Development.
Tokioka said the Team Tech Kaua‘i project is looking to expand into different “growth industries” such as health and wellness.
There are eight components to Team Tech Kaua‘i, including Adopt-a-School. Among them are tracking high school graduates so the high-tech companies on Kaua‘i can offer them jobs; developing high-tech curricula at Kaua‘i Community College; career fairs; and the Science and Technology Education Program.
At Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, adopted by Esaki Surveying & Mapping, Inc., students were able to participate in “Bot Ball,” a statewide robotics competition held on O‘ahu.
Esaki Surveying and Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative donated the school’s entrance fee, and assisted in getting coaches for the robot team.
School officials, in conjunction with KIUC leaders, got volunteers to teach computer programming and development. The company also donated funds that were used for video and computer instructors.
Kodani & Associates, Inc. adopted Kapa‘a Middle School. Galen Gokan did a career day presentation about engineering, which about 100 students attended.
The company also sponsored a mechanical drawing competition and helped create a Native Hawaiian ecosystem map.
Waimea Canyon School students in seventh and eighth grades got coaches for their Math Counts competition team from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and the Boeing Company donated over $3,200 for a mobile computer lab, and taught about long-wave infrared imaging cameras used in the movie “Predator.”
Waimea High School created a team of rocket launchers through their partnership with Pacific Missile Range Facility. PMRF engineers visited classrooms, helped build a launch pad, and students presented their rockets in Honolulu.
Their launch date was over Christmas vacation 2003.
Kaua‘i High, partnered with Trex Enterprises Corporation, sent 19 students to do career shadowing with staff scientists who are working on government research and development of products made from high-grade materials.
Kapa‘a High School was adopted by Rare & Dear of Kalaheo, which offered classroom presentations about careers in software development and taught about Oracle software for a software-development competition.
PMRF and the National Tropical Botanical Garden “adopted” all 15 Kaua‘i public schools. The NTBG offered its “Garden As Classroom” lessons, which incorporate storytelling, teaching about the ahupua‘a system, tropical plants, botany and watershed stewardship, depending on grade level.
KIUC adopted the central (Kaua‘i High) complex, and sponsored science and high-tech fairs and career days.
Pioneer Hi-Bred International adopted all the Waimea complex schools, and did career days, agriculture awareness day, school tours and a science carnival.
For more information, please contact Cyndi Mei Ozaki, county public information officer, at 241-6303, by e-mail at mayor@kauaigov.com, or by fax at 241-6877.
Lifestyle Writer Kendyce Manguchei may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 226) or kmanguchei@pulitzer.net.
