Alakaina Foundation

The Alakaina Foundation conducts the Digital Bus program on Molokai to provide inspiration, support, and guidance to educators and students in the community. The program is in its sixth year of operation, and supports approximately 20 teachers and 400 students each year. “STEM On the Go” provides professional development workshops in environmental science, field research practice, research protocol, monitoring protocols, technology tools, and Native Hawaiian cultural concepts and history to advance teachers’ understanding of the ahupuaa system and conservation issues, and to prepare them to use technology to implement year-long environmental monitoring projects with their students. Cooke Foundation funds are being used to purchase equipment — including handheld data collection devices, cameras, and digital microscopes — which needs replacing every few years because of the harsh field environments.

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