Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 2, 1 February 2020 — Waiākea High School — Robotics [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Waiākea High School — Robotics

Aloha kākou! Ke lana nei ka mana'o ua maika'i ka makahiki 2020. E like me ka mea i 'ōlelo 'ia akula i kēlā mahina aku nei, e nānā ana nō i nā 'ano hui like 'ole e kōkua nei i ko kākou po'e kanaka i 'oi aku ke ola 'ana i kēia wā. He wahi maika'i 'o Hawai'i mokupuni ma muli o ka ho'okumu 'ia 'ana o nā 'ano papahana ho'ona'auao like 'ole no ka po'e 'ōpio. "'O ke kula ma loko o ke kula," ke 'ano o ke

a'o 'ana ma ke Kula Ki'eki'e 'O Waiākea. Ke a'o nei nā haumana i nā mea o ko lākou 'i'ini ma ke kula ki'eki'e ma mua o ka hele 'ana i ke kulanui. Aia 'elima mau Kula Li'ili'i Kuikawā ma ua kula nei. 'O kekahi o ia mau Kula Li'ili'i Kūikawā ke Kula Li'ili'i Kūikawā "'Oihana-Wilikī-Akeaka-mai-'Enehana." Eia ho'i, aia ma loko o ia Kula Li'ili'i Kūikawā ka papahana lopako. Ua ho'omaopopo ā hō'ike aku nāhaumana 0 ka papahana lopako a me ko ia papahana mau kumu i ko lākou 'ike lopako ma kēia moku'āina ā puni i nā makahiki he 'umi ā he 'umikūmālua paha i hala aku nei. I kēia lā, ke holo maika'i nei ka papahana lopako ma ka Moku'āina o Hawai'i ā puni ma muli iki paha o ka ho'olale 'ana o ko ke Kula Ki'eki'e 'O Waiākea mau haumana me nākumu i nā haumana ma waho o ko lākou kula pono'ī. Ua ka'aka'a mai nā maka i ke kipa 'ana 1 kēia kula ā me kēia Kula Li'ili'i Kūikawā ho'i. Ua 'ikea nā papahana ho'ona'auao like 'ole he nui ma mua o ko kākou mau haumana i kēia mau lā. 'O ka 'uku 'ana no kēia mau papahana ka pilikia nui i nā manawa ā pau. '0 ke kālā mai i nā 'ano waihona kālā ā kumu kālā like 'ole paha ka mea nāna i ho'oholomua i kēia papahana lopako. I kēia mahina a'e, e nānā ana i nā 'ano waihona kālā ā kumu kālā like 'ole paha no kēia papahana ā e ho'omaopopo aku paha i ka nū hou e pili ana i ka holomua 'ana o nā haumāna ma hope o ke kula ki'eki'e. Aloha! ■

Aloha kākou! We hope 2020 is treating you well. As mentioned in last month's article, we will turn our focus this year to organizations that are helping our people create a better life for themselves. Hawai'i Island is a plaee that offers great educational opportunities for our young people. Waiākea High School offers an "Academy" approach to learning. It is like a school within a school. Students pursue their

interests in high school rather than waiting for college. There are five Academies at the school. One of those Academies is the "Business-Engineering-Sciences-Tech-nology Academy (B.E.S.T.)." Within that Academy is an additional program in robotics. The students of the robotics program and its advisors have shared their knowledge of robotics throughout the state for the past 10-12 years. Today, a robust robotics program exists throughout the state of Hawai'i due in part to Waiākea High School students and faculty sparking an interest in other students outside of their school. Our tour of the school and this particular Academy opened our eyes to the educational opportunities in front of our students today. Funding these opportunities are always difficult. Funding sources based on Hawai'i Island have helped the robotics program thrive. Next month, we will look at funding sources for this program and hope to share information about the post-high activities of students from Waiākea High School. Aloha! ■

TrustEE, Hawai'i

Robert K. Lindsey, Jr.