Olomana,
Konawaena high
schools honored
They are among 70 U.S.
By Lori Tighe
National Service-Learning Leader
Schools, thanks to student
community work
Star-Bulletin
'The folks in Hawaii should
be very proud of these kids. Through
learning they are strengthening their
community responsibilities.'
Steve Holman
PROJECT DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL
SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTIN math class, Olomana High School students on Oahu learn how to design playground equipment for public housing -- and then build it.
In social studies, Konawaena kids on the Big Island learn how to organize a schoolwide cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program -- and then do it.
These two schools lead the state's wave of combining student service and academics, called "service-learning." They join a national trend hoping to make learning come alive, teens less scary to their communities, and change in American education.
"The folks in Hawaii should be very proud of these kids," said Steve Holman, project director of the federal service-learning project. "Through learning they are strengthening their community responsibilities."
Olomana School in Kailua and Konawaena High School in Kona were named yesterday among 70 U.S. schools as National Service-Learning Leader Schools.
The nationwide distinction is given by the Corporation for National Service, the federal department that runs Americorps. The award flies two representatives from each school to Washington, D.C., June 24-27 for a national brainstorm of service-learning ideas.
"Students learn by doing, giving and caring. If you link it to curriculum everything is enriched," said Marilyn Smith, director of service-learning at Corporation for National Service. "Lately teen-agers and communities have become separated. This makes students resources, not problems."
At Olomana, teachers combine English, math and social studies with construction, agriculture and vocational studies. The elective, three-hour daily program, called "Mixed Plate with Extra Salad and Gravy on the Rice," pushes its learning into the community.
"When we began, we looked for different ways to engage students. Teachers tie in pre- and post-class instruction to what they're doing in the field," said principal Estelle Wong. "When we applied for this award, we were surprised at how much we accomplished. "Wow!' we said. The collective impact was impressive."About 40 students in seventh through 12th grades identified a need for playground equipment at the public housing project Weinberg Village. They used math skills including geometry to design it, and architecture, masonry and carpentry to construct it. "Angles became very important," Wong said.
They learned how to do 1040-EZ income tax returns and volunteered to complete them for the public during a weekend at the Windward Mall.
They adopted a senior citizen center in Kailua and began growing vegetables in their hydroponic garden for them. The students also made workbooks and puzzles for elementary school kids they taught hydroponic gardening to.
"Many students are takers. We say, "Community service,' and they say, "No, that's what you do in court!' This is the first step to changing the way they relate to the public," Olomana teacher Ellen Schroeder said.
Olomana students adopted a stream in Waimanalo, performed water-quality tests and helped clean it up. They formed an outdoor classroom for students with sporadic school attendance at the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, where they built a bamboo fence. School attendance improved greatly, Wong said.
Brandeis University studied service-learning and found several powerful outcomes: students liked school better, delinquency dropped and grades improved, Smith said. Several cities and states, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Maryland and California, adopted service-learning policies. Hawaii plans to make community service a standard for its public school students.
Service-learning also improves teen-agers' reputation among the public, said Lauren O'Leary, a teacher at Konawaena High School in Kona.
When students organized a mass CPR training, they needed to recruit nurses and firefighters to train them, so they could then train classmates. "Many of the adults told me 'I was nervous. But these kids are really nice.' They were surprised," O'Leary said.
Konawaena's service-learning projects, including blood drives and tutoring elementary students, have had a ripple effect. Other schools, from the Big Island to Pearl City High, copied the CPR training and are now training students in their gyms.
