PUHI — The start of school is still a month away. But a dozen students from Waimea and Kapa‘a high schools are ready now. The students celebrated their graduation from the College Readiness Summer Academy program Friday at the Kaua‘i
PUHI — The start of school is still a month away. But a dozen students from Waimea and Kapa‘a high schools are ready now.
The students celebrated their graduation from the College Readiness Summer Academy program Friday at the Kaua‘i Community College carpentry shop.
“This is the first time for the summer academy,” said Rhonda Liu, an outreach counselor for KCC. “The students will be ready when the construction academies open in the high schools when school resumes.”
Ranging in grades 10 to 12, the dozen students spent two weeks under the direction of KCC construction instructor Bob Conti, learning about construction technology.
Liu said the curriculum included an introduction to carpentry and a project-based section where the students built picnic tables using the information they gained from the classroom.
“The students were great,” said Cammie Matsumoto, the professional development coordinator for KCC. “They came in green and are leaving with picnic tables they will donate to their schools. This graduation is a celebration of their accomplishments.”
Matsumoto said the College Readiness Summer Academy is a partnership with the Department of Education and KCC.
Liu said the program is sponsored by federal funds under Gear Up Hawai‘i. The first-time program focused on construction technology with the students getting an introduction to carpentry and career pathways in the construction industry.
“This is a really good program,” said Ron Badua, one of the woodshop teachers from Waimea High School. “The students spent three hours a day during the first week, and two hours a day during the second week.”
The first week involved classroom work and actual construction of the picnic tables while the second week had the students working with computers and learning how to find jobs, Badua said.
He is excited about the startup of the construction academies when school starts.
“Did you see all the tools the schools will be getting?” he asked. “Look inside the Jobox. It’s filled with new tools. There are even aprons for the students.”
Badua said at Waimea High School, there are already 96 students signed up for the academy and despite the fact that equipment is still being sorted at the KCC carpentry shop, the school is already in motion for the approaching school year.
“We have a contract with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to fix the picnic tables between Koloa and Koke‘e,” Badua said. “The students have already been working.”
Liu said in addition to the certificates of completion, the dozen students were also presented with professional-grade carpentry equipment due to funds from Gear Up Hawai‘i.
Those items included a 20 oz. rip hammer, a wide rule and quick square.
“These are yours to keep,” she told the students. “The picnic tables will go to your schools, but the tools you used to build them are yours.”
Waimea High School had nine students and will receive three picnic tables painted blue. Kapa‘a High School had three students signed up and will receive one picnic table.
Badua said the group was broken down into teams of three students to work on the project.
Students from Waimea include Mana Shigematsu, Steven Taroma, Moses Fierro, Keli‘i Shigematsu, Brayden Ho‘okano, Kaipo Ho‘okano, Mark Halog, Jonathan Mariani and Mark Jose. Kapa‘a High School students are Sean Shigematsu, Chason Guillermo and Grayson Gonsalves.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
