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Contact: Ben Hayes, 808-985-6010
HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park “Earth, Sea, Sky” education program has earned the top National Park Service (NPS) award for its exemplary contributions to education.
The NPS Excellence in Education Award recognizes a team for outstanding contributions to the profession of education and for modeling innovation and adaptation within education program planning, development, and implementation. These education program outcomes result in positive and meaningful impacts for educators and students while creating relevance and stewardship for NPS sites.
The Earth, Sea, Sky (ESS) educational field trips link fourth- to tenth-grade students to three East Hawaiʻi learning destinations: ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, Mokupāpapa Discovery Center and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The program, which was initiated by the park and co-created by the three partners, relates to the Kumulipo Hawaiian creation chant and connects outer space with living organisms on Earth.
“The education team at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is thrilled to receive this award, with gratitude to our partners as well as the hard-working teachers who put in the extra effort to schedule the field trips. We also give a big mahalo to the National Park Foundation, Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, and Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, which make this program possible,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Education Specialist, Jody Anastasio.
To date, more than 1,700 students from the Island of Hawaiʻi have completed Earth, Sea, Sky field trips.
The theme that connects all three sites is kilo (to observe). At ʻImiloa, students kilo pō, (observe the night sky) in the planetarium and learn about constellations significant to Hawaiian culture. At Mokupāpapa, students kilo Hilo Bay, then move to the aquarium to kilo the coral reef environment. At Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, students spend half a day outdoors and explore the geology and biodiversity of the volcanic landscape, and how these connect to traditional Hawaiian culture.
"Our students were blessed with the opportunity to participate in the Earth, Sea, and Sky program. All of the learning opportunities that our students got to participate in tied perfectly into our fourth-grade curriculum and our students had amazing guides that were very knowledgeable and engaging. Most of all this opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some students because many of them would have never had the opportunity to go to these places,” said Waiakeawaena Elementary School fourth grade teacher, Jodi Kalawe.
In addition, the ESS program fills the gap between elementary school field trips and the park’s high school Youth Ranger program, which can lead to employment for local youth.
More information, a video and a complete list of NPS award winners is available on the NPS website: 2022 Excellence in Education Awards (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
For information about educational field trips and curriculum available at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/education/curriculummaterials.htm.
-NPS-
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Last updated: September 6, 2023