TMT Funds Career Program for Hawai‘i STEM Students

Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) has continued its commitment and support of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s (HCF) Career Connected Learning program with its fourth consecutive annual gift for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education on Hawai‘i Island to prepare students for the workforce of the future.

Since 2014, TMT has committed $4 million for STEM education on Hawai‘i Island.

“STEM education is a way of helping to grow Hawai‘i Island’s high-tech economy and ensure that there is a future workforce to support all of the opportunities available,” said Sandra Dawson, TMT Hawai‘i Community Affairs manager. “We have seen first-hand how STEM programs are inspiring Hawai‘i’s youth and enabling them to pursue a career path that helps families and communities thrive.”

In 2014, TMT launched The Hawai‘i Island New Knowledge (THINK) Fund at HCF, and committed $750,000 in annual funding to support programs with strong STEM components that benefit Hawai‘i Island students pursuing STEM related careers. Since that time, additional funding partners have contributed to the effort and provided more than 12,000 students and 900 educators on Hawai‘i Island with STEM-related programming.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors, like TMT, programs like THINK Fund and Career Connected Learning allow us to support Hawai‘i students by providing fruitful learning opportunities that drive career exploration,” said Micah Kane, CEO and president of HCF. “As the need for STEM literacy continues to grow, so will the need for programs and activities that will ensure our keiki are prepared to thrive in the 21st century.”

The Career Connected Learning program aims to increase the number of students completing STEM degrees and strengthen the alignment between various STEM learning programs that are currently available with the specific needs of Hawai‘i’s evolving workforce. In addition, the program aims to increase the number of teachers, career counselors and volunteers prepared to guide students through college and career pathways as well as cultivate partnerships between educators and employers to provide relevant work-based learning experiences for students in Hawai‘i STEM fields. The THINK Fund at Hawaii Community Foundation has contributed $1.3 million towards this grant program.

The THINK Fund is open to all Hawai‘i Island teachers with STEM classroom projects and organizations providing STEM programs that directly benefit Hawai‘i Island.

To learn more about TMT’s THINK Fund, visit www.tmt.org.

Career Connected Learning 2018 Grantees