NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release May 5, 2017
Hawai‘i Community Foundation Announces $1 Million in Hawai‘i Island STEM Learning Partnership Grants HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) is pleased to announce $1 million in Hawai‘i STEM Learning Partnership grants for Hawai‘i Island recipients supporting programs preparing students for Hawai‘i’s 21st century workforce. In today’s rapidly-evolving world, there is a growing need for people who can continuously learn and apply concepts to relevant issues around them. Advances in the fields of technology, energy, health and climate offer practical solutions to the many real-world problems. The development and growth of interdisciplinary STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) is vital to ensure a skilled workforce for Hawai‘i’s innovation economy. “Hawai‘i Island is an incubator for STEM studies and jobs with a billion dollar astronomy sector, extensive agriculture, alternative energy, and more,” said Lydia Clements at HCF. “These grants create interactive learning environments equipped with the latest technology so our students are inspired to pursue local STEM careers.” More than $1 million was awarded last week to 35 programs providing local youth with internships, career exploration and field research experiences. Teachers and mentors are also receiving training and equipment to better engage students. The diverse learning opportunities span Hawai‘i Island and will involve more than 12,000 students and 900 educators. In 2015, HCF launched the Hawai‘i STEM Learning Partnership as a funder collaborative with cornerstone support from the Thirty Meter Telescope through HCF’s THINK Fund. There are nine additional funders now supporting the partnership including Hokuli‘a Community Fund, Kūki‘o Community Fund, Maunakea Observatories, Richard Smart Fund (Parker Ranch), and four individuals. Thanks to the pooled resources of these funders, more than $2.2 million has benefited Hawai‘i Island over the past three years. Past recipients include the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium, which expands robotics programs for elementary and middle schools across Hawai‘i Island; Friends of Hakalau Forest Teaching Change, which inspires the next generation of Hawai‘i’s natural resource managers; and the
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Akamai Workforce Initiative Internship Program, which provides Hawai‘i Island college students the opportunity to directly apply STEM content into real-world projects. Proposals were accepted from local schools and nonprofits to meet the following goals:
Increase the number of effective STEM teachers on Hawai‘i Island; Increase the number of effective STEM programs on Hawai‘i Island that also promote cultural competency of place-based learning; Increase the number of Hawai‘i Island students who are inspired to pursue postsecondary STEM fields of study; and Increase the number of Hawai‘i Island students who complete STEM degree and training programs.
About Hawai‘i Community Foundation With 100 years of community service, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 800 funds, including more than 200 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2016, HCF distributed more than $47.6 million in grants and contracts statewide, including $4.7 million in scholarships. HCF also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector. ###
Media Contacts Julie Kaneko Stryker Weiner & Yokota (808) 523-8802/469-6846 julie@strykerweiner.com
Lynelle Marble Hawai‘i Community Foundation (808) 566-5564/295-6162 lmarble@hcf-hawaii.org