University of Hawaii Windward Community College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The 2019 PaCES-HIMB Summer Environmental Science Program is an intensive 6-week program providing selected Hawaii high school juniors and seniors with hands-on education and research experiences in environmental science.

The program provides a college-like experience for 24 high school students. The first few weeks of the program will emphasize classroom, laboratory, and field instruction in environmental science using facilities at Windward Community College and the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). The latter half would emphasize the development and implementation of environmental science research projects by the students under the supervision of research mentors. These projects will evaluate various aspects of how a watershed impacts the adjacent coral reef environment. Thus, an ahupua'a, or ridge-to-reef approach, will be embraced. Students will complete a formal research paper describing their research. The end of the program will culminate in a symposium in which the students present their research to a broader audience.

https://windward.hawaii.edu/programs-of-study/pre-college-programs/paces/

The Hawaiian Studies Department invites all of WCC to volunteer at the Waikalua Loko I‘a Fishpond in Kaneohe through out the year. There is no specific schedule for workdays, but over the years, WCC students and staff have consistently helped restore rocks walls at the fishpond. There are student grants through the WCC Marine Options Program that are designed for underrepresented minority groups in STEM to receive stipends for research projects.

NALU Studies mission is to design and implement scientific and ecological learning experiences that have helped transform the lives and families of at-risk youth in the community. They offers two sequential courses and a mentorship program. Students study a traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa (watershed) and engage in a curriculum aligned with the Hawaii Department of Education Content and Performance Standards in science, career and life skills, and educational technology. Students can earn high school and/or college credit from Windward Community College for each course towards their academic goals. Students are between the ages of 13 to 17 years old and are in a cohort of up to twenty.
Each course is 150 hours long, with a combination of hands-on learning experiences through field expeditions and academic learning. Courses start with nature activities that include hiking, canoe paddling, and snorkeling to build trust and relationships.
Nature activities lead into a two-week intensive academic program, where students work in the laboratory, conducting college-level scientific experiments, collaborating in groups and working alongside professionals and experts. -Students present their research at the culminating event, a formal scientific symposium attended by scientists, community leaders, and families.