| |
University of Hawai'i |
(808) 956-8856 Telephone |
For Immediate Release: |
October 11, 1999 |
Contact: Kenneth Kaneshiro, director, Center for Conservation and Research
Training, phone 956-6739; fax 956-9608
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| National Science Foundation awards Center for Conservation
and Research Training $472,000 for first year of collaboration project with
K-12 teachers |
The National Science Foundation has approved the proposal of Center for Conservation and Research Training Director Kenneth Kaneshiro, who hoped to encourage collaboration between UH Manoa graduate students and local K-12 teachers. The project, awarded $472,000 for its first year, begins this spring semester.
Graduate students in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology program will mentor K-12 teachers in research-oriented science education for their students. Kaneshiro says the project theme is "biology in the light of evolution," which will help teachers instruct biology students in terms of evolutionary concepts. Hawaii is considered to be the best natural laboratory for evolutionary biology, making it an ideal environment for the project. Stream ecosystem monitoring and out-planting of native plants are examples of field research-oriented projects in which K-12 students can participate. By bringing their own field research into the K-12 classroom, EECB graduate students will motivate young students to consider exciting careers in science.
The program also benefits participating EECB students, who will commit at least 15 hour per week to the effort. Each EECB student who is awarded a fellowship will receive a full graduate research assistantship and research funds of at least $1,500 a year. NSF funding will enable the university to offer about 30 graduate assistantships over the next three or four years. CCRT will also recruit some undergraduates to aid the EECB students in the K-12 endeavor as well as in the collection of data for their thesis work.
The continuing grant will be valid until about August of 2002. NSF estimates that the total amount awarded to the university for the project over the next three years will be $1.42 million.
Participants in the program include graduate student Puanani Anderson
Wong in the botany department (956-8043), teacher Judy Inouye at Kawananakoa
School (587-4430) and professor Donald Young at the Curriculum Research
and Development Group (956-4951).
