Creating
- Elementary Sparking A Passion for STEM at Waiakea
Mrs. Curry likes to keep her fourth grade students engaged up to the last days of the school year, and last year was no different. Her Always curriculum’s final lessons were all about engineering and she hoped her students would find them fascinating. “One of my fondest memories is “So many students watching two very quiet are inspired by hands-on learning. Sometimes it takes students build a fun tools to really draw them structure into projects.” together,” the teacher Lydia Clements, at Waiakea HCF’s Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Partnerships Elementary school said. “They patiently tinkered and constructed each piece; making sure to consult the manual every step of the way.” Both students were so still and focused that Mrs. Curry didn’t know if they were
teachers, just didn’t have the budget to equip her students with these kits along with supplies she would need for the rest of the year.
for All… And for
Fourth grade teacher Mrs. Curry (R) and her co-teacher, Leanne Silva, get ready for another day of exciting STEM lessons.
actually enjoying the project. Finally, at the very end, both students jumped up and shouted proudly, “We built a ferris wheel!” and then proceeded to show their classmates. This classroom project required kits with 3-D materials to practice mechanical engineering along with Lego sets and magnetic building pieces. Mrs. Curry, like many
Enter THINK Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), which gives money for STEM classroom projects on Hawai‘i Island through a special online portal called DonorsChoose.org.. THINK Fund at HCF was created by Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and is promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education on Hawai‘i Island to prepare students for the workforce of the future. “So many students are inspired by hands-on learning and using fun tools really draws them into projects,” said Lydia Clements, HCF’s Vice President of Foundation and Corporate Partnerships. “These grants get today’s technology into our Hawai‘i Island classrooms so students can gain experiences that will help them excel. TMT’s funding
makes all of this happen.” Mrs. Curry’s students experienced the joy of creativity through engineering — which is sometimes all it takes to spark a lifetime of passion for a subject — and it was all thanks to THINK Fund classroom grants.
DID YOU KNOW: Many Hawai‘i residents want opportunities for their growing children to live and thrive in careers that excite them in Hawai‘i. Since 2014, TMT has committed funding through THINK Fund at HCF to provide local students with innovative education and spark interest in subjects that could lead to rewarding careers in STEM fields.
Learn how to transform your generosity into lasting change at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org