Two Kauaians are going to California this summer. But not for vacation. Kaua’i County Police officer Ezra Kanoho and Leah Aiwohi, a teacher at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, have been designated Hawaii’s DARE Officer and Teacher of the Year. The
Two Kauaians are going to California this summer. But not for vacation.
Kaua’i County Police officer Ezra Kanoho and Leah Aiwohi, a teacher at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, have been designated Hawaii’s DARE Officer and Teacher of the Year.
The duo, chosen for their work with children and for serving as positive role models, will represent the state at the National DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) conference in Los Angeles in July.
Kanoho was nominated by Police Department Sgt. Patrick Balbarino, and Aiwohi was nominated by Kanoho.
For Aiwohi, L.A. will be her second trip of the year to the mainland on DARE business. During the past year, she and her students — with the guidance of Kanoho — developed a DARE Web site at http://kauila.k12.hi.us/~dare. The site was selected by the state Department of Education to represent Hawai’i at a national competition to be held in May at the University of Idaho.
Only 10 middle schools throughout the nation were selected as finalists.
Aiwohi will take at least five of her students with her to represent their school and the state.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
