KIHEI, Maui — Kihei Charter School has been selected as the Hawaii

recipient of the AARP Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award and a $10,000 donation

for outstanding educational achievement.

The award is being offered in celebration of AARP's 50th anniversary and is

part of more than $1 million offered by the organization nationally "to

support educational programs with a demonstrated commitment to connect

generations and foster greater civic engagement among students and their

communities," according to a news release.

Kihei Charter School was selected for the honor by a panel of retired

Hawaii educators. The public school's educational programs include a K-12

Virtual Academy combining home and school-based education, a High School

Academy, and the state's first middle school with a core Science,

Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum.

AARP founder Ethel Percy Andrus was a retired teacher and principal from

California. The award named in her honor was bestowed upon one public school

in each state, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of

Columbia.