Education

Raising Funds to Open Doors

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Raising Funds to Open Doors

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Thirteen promising Molokai High School Students are one step closer to their goal of traveling to visit East Coast colleges and career sites. The Molokai community came out to help them get there at a fundraiser last Saturday. 

Molokai College and Career Club (CCC) has been taking MHS students to the mainland for college visits for the past nine years. 

The trips are largely the brainchild of MHS teacher Ric Ornellas. Ornellas, a Molokai native, spent years of his life living in New York City following a college education at Middlebury College.  It has been his goal to expose Molokai students to broader education potentials and possibilities. …

Intergenerational Learning at Soto Mission

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Intergenerational Learning at Soto Mission

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Kupuna are learning to navigate technology in classes taught by Molokai High students at Molokai’s Guzeiji Soto Mission. The Buddhist temple in Kaunakakai has opened a new space dedicated to kupuna and community that includes an internet hotspot. The project is funded by a $11,500 Community Challenge Grant from AARP Hawaii. 

The Guzeiji Soto Mission, partnered with the Krause Family Foundation ‘Alana Ke Aloha, used the grant to purchase necessary equipment including a Wi-Fi hotspot, tables and benches, according to a press release from the AARP. 

The goal of the new program is for Molokai High School students to teach kupuna to use their devices and gain easier access to technology.…

Molokai Complex Seeks Grant for Afterschool Program

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

DOE News Release 

The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) grant funds an afterschool enrichment program on Molokai. The Department of Education is applying to continue the 21CCLC funding for Molokai students and families.

If approved, the 21CCLC program will help youth and their ‘ohana – particularly those who attend schools needing improvement – with academic enrichment opportunities and support services to help meet state and local standards in core content areas.

Our proposed academic activities will include homework help, targeted grade level and subject tutoring, and credit/course recovery. Our personal enrichment activities include STEM activities, cultural activities, Molokai conservation activities, gardening, visual, music, dance, drama art activities, and physical education activities.…

Learning with the Children’s Theatre

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Learning with the Children’s Theatre

Community Contributed

My name is Wailana Purdy-Avelino, an intern for Hōkūlani Childrenʻs Theatre of Molokai under Mrs. Vicki Boswell. As an intern, my responsibilities include creating a web page for Hokulani CTOM and updating our Facebook page weekly, I am currently developing a puppet theater script to go in the play and help to arrange a day camp for the kids during spring break to create props and shadow puppets while doing fun activities to build stronger relationships with our young actors.

Personally, I always enjoyed theater and acting. While in elementary school I participated in several school plays including one under the direction of Mrs.…

A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Community Contributed

By Sara Jane Larkin, Teacher

Hawaii schools follow the Na Hopena A’O/HA framework.  This framework provides a system of expectations for all in Hawaii to aspire to.   HA means breath and the components of the framework are an acrostic of the letters in breath; belonging, responsibility, excellence, aloha, total wellbeing, and Hawaii.  With Makahiki season upon us, the talk of champions and excellence is constant.  In first grade at Kilohana School, I wanted to make time to enhance our total well being as well as our sense of excellence.  A warrior is someone who is as mentally strong and prepared as well as physically strong and prepared. …

Victory for Robotics Team

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Victory for Robotics Team

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

On Jan. 28, the Kaunakakai School Robotics Team achieved a unique feat for Molokai. 

The team, coached by Andrea Yuen and Joe Howe, won the highest prize, the Excellence Award, at the 2023 Vex IQ Elementary State Championship. 

The Excellence Award is “given to a team who exemplifies overall excellence in creating a high- quality robotics program,” said Edwin Mendija, a robotics coach and supporter of the team. The criteria for such an award includes not just doing well in the competition itself, but also having proper documentation and explaining the robot to the judges. 

“As their coach, they competed strongly,” especially in the engineering notebook and judges’ interview, said Yuen. …

Children’s Theatre Launched on Molokai

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

Hokulani Children’s Theatre of Molokai (Hokulani CTOM) is here to enrich and inspire the young people of Molokai through theater and the performing arts experience. Officially launched in January 2023, Hokulani CTOM is a grassroots effort created by Vicki Boswell built on community effort. Twenty youth from the ages six to 18 have started to participate and bring their talents to the theater’s first production, The Legend of Mulan. 

“My husband and [my] goal was to go on a mission for 10 years and serve other places,” said Boswell. “I kept having these feelings that we were needed at home, so we came home, and the thought was if I’m here, what do you need me to do?…

Computer Science Innovation at Kaunakakai School

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

Computer Science Innovation at Kaunakakai School

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

The students in Kawika Gonzales’ fifth grade class at Kaunakakai School are excited about learning two subjects that aren’t often studied together: computer science and Hawaiian culture.  Thanks to a three-year grant from the University of Hawaii, Gonzales is teaching a program he believes has led to substantial progress in computer science education. 

The grant focuses on the role of culturally relevant computing by combining aspects of computer science with Hawaiian history and traditions. 

Dan Hoffman, one of the University of Hawaii faculty members directing the grant, explained that “the grant is designed around the idea that ‘curriculum is not enough’”. …

New UH Molokai Cooperative Extension Staff

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

UHCTAHR News Release 

The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service is proud to announce that on Jan. 3, our staff on Molokai doubled in size with the addition of two new agents.

Joining the staff are Kristina “Tina” Cacpal and Kyle Franks.  They join the long-time staff of Glenn Teves, Jennifer Hawkins, and Ag Technician Faith Tuipulotu.

Tina Cacpal was born and raised on Molokai in Maunaloa and is a proud alumna of Maunaloa Elementary and Molokai High and Intermediate School. She recently completed a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Grand Canyon University. Most of her career was spent as an Educational Assistant at Maunaloa that nurtured her love for education as well as connecting with the land and her people.…

Apply for Bayer Science Education Fund

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

Bayer Fund News Release

Applications for the 2023 Bayer Hawaii Science Education Fund are now available to eligible public schools interested in obtaining a grant to support their science curricula.

 Since 2005, this Bayer Fund grant program has awarded over $348,000 to public schools in Hawaii for programs, tools, supplies and equipment to enhance their students’ science education. All public schools serving students at the intermediate, high school and college grade levels on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Molokai are eligible to apply.

 There will be two grant periods in 2023. To be considered for the next grant period, completed applications plus supporting documentation must be received by Wednesday, March 1.…