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Project Collaborators

The Kapi‘olani Community College began in 1946 as the Kapi‘olani Technical School at a time when Hawai‘i was still a territory of the United States. The innovative school was administered by the Territorial Department of Instruction with a strong academic focus on food service. But in 1959, as Hawai‘i was entering statehood, three additional programs were added: practical nursing, business education and dental assisting. In 1965 the college realigned its academic mission and joined the University of Hawai‘i community college system. From its original home at the corner of Pensacola and Kapi‘olani Boulevard to its current location on the slopes of scenic Diamond Head, KCC is poised to take its place at the head of the technical renaissance of the 21st century!

Kamehameha Schools (KS) is a private charitable educational trust endowed by the will of Hawaiian Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop (1831-1884), the great-granddaughter and last direct descendant of King Kamehameha I.

 

During her lifetime, Princess Pauahi witnessed the rapid decline of the Hawaiian population. With that decline came a challenge to preserve the Hawaiian language and culture she held dear.

 

The princess knew that education would be key to the survival of her people, so in an enduring act of aloha, she left them a precious gift upon her passing – 375,000 acres of ancestral land. She instructed the trustees of her estate to use the land to educate her people. Today, her endowment supports an educational system that serves thousands of Hawaiian learners in Hawai‘i and across the nation.

The goal of the STEM program is to enhance the quality of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics instructional and outreach programs at KapCC, as well as to increase the number of STEM students transferring to four-year degree programs as they prepare for careers in the STEM disciplines.

 

The program was started in August 2005 with a $1.25 million Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the development and implementation of the STEM program. Since that initial grant, additional grants have been awarded to the STEM Program, such as the $500,000 Science Talent Enrichment Program (STEP) grant in 2007. These grants help the STEM Program to support students interested in pursuing degrees and careers in math and science.

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