Education briefs
Advertiser Staff
Youth volunteers sought for awards
Hawai'i students who have worked to help the less fortunate or tried to improve their community through volunteer work can apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
The awards, presented by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, recognize students in grades 5 through 12 who have made the greatest commitment and impact over the past year.
Application forms will be available during the next two months in middle and high schools, Girl Scout councils, 4-H offices, Camp Fire USA councils, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and volunteer centers. They also can be found online, or by calling (888) 450-9961.
Students must submit completed applications by Oct. 31. Then, participating schools and local organizations will select and honor their top youth volunteers and submit them for state-level judging.
The top two candidates from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — one high school student and one middle-level student — will be named state honorees in February, and will receive $1,000 awards, engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May for four days of national recognition events.
Runners-up at the state level will receive bronze medallions or certificates of excellence.
Last year, about 28,000 students nationwide participated in the program.
Deadline to register for ACT is Sept. 20
College-bound students who want to take the ACT assessment can register now for the Oct. 26 test date.
To avoid late fees, the postmark registration deadline is Sept. 20. Students can get information from their school counselors or register online. The test fee is $25.
Colleges and universities consider ACT scores, along with other measures such as grade point average, when admitting students or placing them into advanced programs.
The ACT is an achievement test that measures a student's academic skills in four subject areas: English, reading, math and science.
Kamehameha appoints Julian Ako
Kamehameha Schools has appointed Julian Ako to the new position of senior education administrator.
Ako will work with chief education officer Skip Hare to coordinate educational services including preschool programs, kindergarten through 12th grade programs, and extension programs, which include career education, distance learning, literacy efforts and Hawaiian studies.
Ako has been with Kamehameha Schools for nearly 23 years, previously as dean of student activities for the Kapalama campus, special assistant to the president, assistant to the director of extension education and strategic planning facilitator.
