(Laie, HI)—Hawaii Reserves, Inc. is supporting the pursuit of academic excellence for students in Koolau Loa. A sizeable donation will help support 23 students who qualified for the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C. this month. There are 50 students statewide who are competing nationally.
“We’ve supported Koolau Loa students in this program in years past because we are impressed with the rigors of the competition and how well our local kids are performing,” said R. Eric Beaver, President of Hawaii Reserves, Inc. “Part of our philosophy is to honor the past, so we appreciate the dedication of our young people to take up history and compete among the nation’s brightest.”
“The National History Day competition has proven to be one of the richest academic experiences for students in our area,” says Colleen Spring, a teacher at Laie Elementary School. Five Kahuku alums from this program went on to Stanford University and credit it for preparing them to succeed at the university level.
The annual National History Day competition provides students from across the country the opportunity to foster skills in critical thinking, research, and presentation.
In 2009, Kenner Shumway, Kameron Ho Ching, and Zach Frampton placed second in the nation for their group performance. All three are from Koolau Loa.
This year’s theme “Innovation in History: Impact to Change” inspired many students to take part in the National History Day competition, with twenty-three from the Laie/Kahuku district alone qualifying to represent Hawaii nationally. They were selected from more than 1,000 students who participated in the state competition at the school, regional, and state levels. Kahuku High and Intermediate School has 18 qualifying students, Kahuku Elementary 3, Laie Elementary 1, and Hawaii Technology Academy 1.
The National History Day contest will be at the University of Maryland, College Park, June 13-17, 2010.
Submitted by Barbara Pleadwell