Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 5, 1 May 1990 — Science day is a hit with kids [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Science day is a hit with kids

The University of Hawai'i at Hilo's Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children, Na Pua No'eau, was established to provide gifted Hawaiian children (K-to-12) educational enrichment experiences. A series of "Super Saturdays" were thus developed along with other enrichment activities. Super Science Saturday for native Hawaiian youth, was held March 10 at the University of Hawai'i Hilo campus. Classes for students from kindergarten through grade 12 were held in the life sciences, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology buildings between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Intermediate and high school students spent

part of their day at Onekahakaha Beach tidepools; taking plankton tows and analyzing oeean water samples in Hilo Bay; exploring the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park; and involving themselves in the computer technology used in seismology today at the HVNP Observatory. Feedback from students, parents, and instructors was positive. Students who participated are requesting mentors in scientific areas such as ehemistry and manne biology. Coordinator for the day's events was Dr. Marlene Hapu, assistant director of the center. For more information contact the center, Na Pua No'eau University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hawaii. The phone is 933-3678.

Native Hawaiian students experienced the magic of chemistry in Dr. Ernest Kho's lab at

UH Hilo as part of Super Science Saturday.