Pauahi Foundation to Aid in Sending Students to Science Camp

Malia Kealoha of Maui, a camper at last summer’s Science Camp, shares a chemistry experiment with a young attendee at the Volcano Village 4th of July Festival. Courtesy photo.

Volcanoes, mountains, ocean, forests, plants, and animals are among the learning items for students attending Science Camp of America’s summer Science Camp on the Big Island.

The Pauahi Foundation, whose mission is to provide support towards the educational needs of people of Hawaiian descent, recently announced scholarship opportunities for middle and high school students to attend the camps.

With support from the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory, Pauahi Foundation officials say a total of 12 students, six in each of the two camps (Land & Sea and Air & Space), will be sponsored.

“We, at the Foundation, are so proud to be able to offer this funding in support of STEM programs on Hawai’i Island” stated Mavis Shiraishi-Nagao, Scholarship Services Manager for Pauahi Foundation.

The Science Camp was started by former Honolulu-based software entrepreneur Michael Richards and University of Hawai’i Professor of Geology and Oceanography Dr. Floyd McCoy.

The organization’s education programming is directed by Dr. McCoy, who is a highly-regarded scientist and educator. He has appeared on specials for National Geographic, BBC, TLC, NBC, and Discovery.

Richards serves as the organization’s executive director and camp director.

“Science Camp is a unique experience for teens to learn and do science while having fun,” said Richards. Each day, we head out on field trips from our base camp in Ka’u to science destinations across Hawai’i Island, where we explore new environments, help collect scientific data for research, meet working scientists, and experience and study Hawaii’s unique natural environment.

“We are very excited by this opportunity that Pauahi Foundation is providing to Native Hawaiian students interested in science. We are proud to be part of the greater effort to encourage young people in Hawai’i to embark on science careers that will help them have a long-term positive impact on our local environment.”

Science Camps are ten-day overnight experiences for boys and girls ages 13 to 17 entering grades 8-12, and start June 29th.

Those interested in learning more about Science Camps of America can visit the Science Camps of America website.

Information or scholarship applications can be found at the Pauahi Foundation website.