Education briefs
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i 3R's recognized
Hawai'i 3R's, a program in which volunteers and outside financial help are used to help maintain public schools, has been named one of eight national winners of an innovation award from the Council of State Governments.
The two-year-old 3R's program — repair, remodel and restore — has helped with more than $5 million in repairs at more than 50 public schools. That has helped reduce the state's backlog of maintenance projects.
Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, started the program in 2001 to address school repairs that may not be immediate priorities or health and safety threats. State Sen. Norman Sakamoto, D-15th (Waimalu, Salt Lake), nominated the program for the award, which was presented at a forum last weekend in Pittsburgh.
"I would especially like to highlight the military's involvement," Inouye said. "They have eagerly stepped forward to provide the necessary manpower for many of our projects."
Sakamoto said the program "is what education reform should be about. Bringing the community back to their schools is an important and necessary step to a successful school system."
'Teacher at sea' from Big Island
Nancy Lewis, a special education teacher at Na'alehu Elementary and Intermediate School on the Big Island, has been chosen as this year's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "teacher at sea."
In September, Lewis lived and worked with researchers on an NOAA ship from Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas, to Honolulu.
Lewis was honored at a reception in Washington, D.C., last week by Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, and NOAA officials.
Haiku contest seeks entries
Do you haiku?
The Hawai'i Education Association is accepting verse for its 26th annual International Haiku Contest. There are three categories: season word, Hawai'i word and humorous, with prizes of $45, $35 and $25 in each category.
HEA members can compete for free, while others have to pay $1 for each entry. The deadline is Nov. 15. Entries should be sent to the HEA at 1649 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96826.
HPU program for executives
In response to growing demand for expertise in information technology systems, Hawai'i Pacific University has launched a new graduate degree designed for those who have professional experience. The master of science in information systems for professionals is an 18-month, executive-style program for those who have management skills.
The program offers special emphasis on telecommunications, project management, security and strategic planning, and will offer executives, corporate information officers and IT professionals advanced skills in designing, implementing and managing information systems.
Classes will begin in February through the HPU Center for Graduate Studies. Call 544-0278, e-mail graduate@hpu.edu or visit www.hpu.edu/msisp.
