LIHUE — Kauai students who want to help their schools or communities go green now have a chance to earn funding to back their big ideas.
Conservation and education nonprofit Kupu, in partnership with Kokua Hawaii Foundation, is launching its fourth annual Hawaii Youth Sustainability Challenge project-grant program, which supports student-led environmental initiatives.
Applications are due Oct. 19. Students in grades 6-12 from public, private, and charter schools statewide are encouraged to apply.
“We are so excited to host another Hawaii Youth Sustainability Challenge,” says Kupu CEO John Leong. “Not only is this a great experience for Hawaii’s next generation of eco-preneurs and eco-engineers, but it’s also a win for the community at large. We have seen so many students generate innovative and effective projects that address pressing environmental issues. We can’t wait to see what our future leaders come up with this year.”
Last school year, the program provided a total of $19,015 in project-grants to 29 teams across 23 schools. Recent recipients included Kanuikapono Charter School, where their project was based on constructing and utilizing a greenhouse.
During this project, kids strived to encourage others to become more hands on with growing their own fresh produce. Within their greenhouse, they grew a variety of plants such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and carrots.
They learned the importance of knowing how to grow their own fresh vegetables and came away with a greater appreciation for how their food was sourced.
“Students Loke and Russell learned that they could plan and follow through with a big project that involved multiple small steps,” said Erin Medeiros, Teacher at Kanuikapono Charter School.
“Other students learned from them that they can be empowered to take on a large-scale project that goes beyond one academic class and utilizes community supports to create something lasting and immediately impactful.”
Individual projects will be awarded between up to $1,000 based on scope and need. Grant recipients will be selected in late fall, and projects will commence in January. Projects are required to be implemented and completed by the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
“Last year’s Hawaii Youth Sustainability Challenge projects were impactful not just on the students that participated in the, but also the schools and communities that their projects reached,” says Kokua Hawaii Foundation Executive Director Natalie McKinney. “Kokua Hawaii Foundation is excited for a new batch of projects spearheaded by youth leaders who care about and want to make positive impacts on our environment.”
Source: The Garden Island
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