Kaua‘i works to identify top science, medical students

LIHU‘E — Nearly 50 students from four Kaua‘i high schools are giving up their first weekend of fall break to participate in a groundbreaking program designed to identify top science and medical students.

They are also the first in the state to participate in the Science, Service, Medicine and Mentoring (S2M2) program, meeting at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center but Saturday also including a trip to Lihu‘e Airport to tour a state-of-the-art U.S. Navy helicopter, state Department of Education officials said.

The students and their adult leaders toured a Navy SH60 helicopter equipped with the latest in anti-submarine and anti-surface-threat detection devices.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. also attended the airport tour.

The four-day, Department of the Navy program includes a team of Navy doctors and staff exposing students from diverse backgrounds to various aspects of the medical profession, designed to cultivate the next generation of top-quality, culturally and academically competent physicians and scientists.

The Navy team includes a special assistant to the chief naval officer for diversity.

Not only are the students learning on their fall break, but they will speak about what they have learned in a public health fair Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center, a DOE press release states.

Student participants will present health information on issues prevalent in the community and demonstrate the skills learned in the S2M2 program.

Healthy initiatives will be discussed as well.

On Monday, college admissions and scholarship information will be shared by the Navy leaders with any interested students and parents, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center.   

Participants will learn how to apply for medical and Navy scholarships.

For more information, contact Dr. Glenda Nogami at 332-9080.