About Town 1-26

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c UCSD Academic Connections-Hawaii, July 10 to 17 and Aug. 6 to 13. Application deadline is March 25. The university is offering two full-tuition scholarships to qualified high school students to attend the Academic Connections program in Hawaii. Alakai i ka Malama Honua “A Leader in Caring for the Earth” course is made possible by a university and The Kohala Center partnership. This one-week precollege summer academic experience for college-bound high school students in grades nine to 12 examines the diverse ecosystem and climate zones of Hawaii Island. Students will travel around the island studying geology, volcanology, marine science and Hawaiian history. Find out more at academicconnections.ucsd.edu/application/index.cfm. Applicants must submit their scholarship application form directly to The Kohala Center, P.O. Box 437462, Kamuela, HI, 96743, or (fax) 885-6707.

Students serving breakfasts, lunches

Students in the Culinary Arts Department at Hawaii Community College West Hawaii are serving breakfast and lunches this semester.

Breakfast is served from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Tuesday and will continue every Tuesday, except Feb. 21 and March 6, at the school. No reservations are required, and carry-out is welcome. The cost is $6 per person.

First-year students are studying American regional cuisine and will serve a lunch based on Southern foods on Wednesday. The second-year students are basing their Friday lunches on fine dining/classical cuisine dishes.

Lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are $18 per person. Reservations will be taken beginning at 8 a.m. Monday the week of the luncheon. Call 322-4850. Changes or cancellations should be made at last 48 hours ahead of time. Tips are welcome. Schedule and pricing are subject to change.


Cruise ship tour benefits VASH

The public is invited to partake in the unique opportunity to come aboard Holland American Lines’ ship, Oosterdam, in Hilo Harbor on March 2. A cruise-style luncheon, silent auction and self-guided tour of the ship are part of the benefit for the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii.

In addition to assisting visitors who are victims of crime, VASH is often called upon to assist cruise ship passengers when medical emergencies require local hospital care. In 2011, VASH helped 81 cruise visitors who had medical situations that required them to disembark, spend unplanned time on Hawaii Island and make alternate arrangements home.

Parking is not available on the pier; parking will be at Wong Stadium with shuttle buses departing for the ship at 9:45 a.m. and returning from the ship at 2:30 p.m.

Reservations for the luncheon are $40 per person and must be made by Feb. 17, with all required security information provided.

For a copy of the official invitation, reservation form and event details, email info@vashbigisland.org or call Linda at 756-0392.


Unitarian Universalists ponder fellowship here

Should there be a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on the west side of the Big Island?

On Sunday at 4 p.m., an organizational meeting will be held at the Keauhou Shopping Center’s studio space next to Kona Stories bookstore. This offers accessible access with easy parking nearby. Contact Linda Olsen at 322-3325 for more information or to be on an email list but can’t attend this first meeting.

Unitarian Universalists have been on the Big Island with a Puna fellowship for 25 years. However, there has never been a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in West Hawaii.

Everyone is welcome at this discussion group. Future plans for children’s religious education and adult programs will be developed.

For more information about Unitarian Universalism, visit uua.org.


Summer programs scholarships offered

The Kohala Center invites high school students to apply for scholarships to residential engineering and environmental science summer programs. These opportunities are offered in partnership with Cornell and Brown universities and the University of California, San Diego.

More information and application forms for all programs can be found at kohalacenter.org/scholarships/about.html, by calling 887-6411 or emailing Erica Perez at eperez@kohalacenter.org.

The programs are:

c Brown Environmental Leadership Lab at Brown University, Sustainable Development, June 24 to July 6; July 8 to 20; and July 22 to Aug. 3. Application deadline is Feb. 27. The Kohala Center and Brown University are offering full-tuition scholarships for two Hawaii Island students. Scholarship recipients must cover their own travel costs. For two-week sessions, students will live at the university’s Haffenreffer estate, a 372-acre historic farm adjacent to Narrangansett Bay in Rhode Island, and learn how human demands on the environment often compromise long-term ecosystem health and about the policies, practices and emerging technologies that can help reduce humankind’s ecological impact. Mentored by Brown faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, participants will also develop leadership skills to tackle pressing environmental problems in their home communities. Find out more at kohalacenter.org/bell.html.

c Curie and Catalyst engineering academies at Cornell University, July 15 to 21. Application deadline is Feb. 3. The Kohala Center is offering two full-tuition scholarships to qualified high school students to attend either the Curie Academy or the Catalyst Academy, both hosted by the Diversity Programs in Engineering at Cornell. Qualified applicants may apply for one or both of the programs. Scholarship recipients must cover their own travel costs. Applicants must submit their scholarship application form directly to The Kohala Center.

The Curie Academy is a one-week residential engineering program for high school girls who excel in math and science and want to learn more about opportunities in engineering in an interactive atmosphere. Cornell University’s faculty and graduate students will lead Curie participants in classes, lab sessions and project research. Rising sophomore, junior or senior girls with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 are eligible to apply. Find out more at engineering.cornell.edu/diversity/summer/high_school/curie/index.cfm.

The Catalyst Academy for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors is a one-week summer residential engineering program, during which the university’s faculty and graduate students lead participants in classes, lab sessions and project research. Scholarship applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Find out more at engineering.cornell.edu/diversity/summer/high_school/catalyst/index.cfm.

c University of California, San Diego, Academic Connections, July 8 to 28. Application deadline is March 26. The university and The Kohala Center are offering one full-tuition scholarship to a qualified high school student to attend the Academic Connections program in San Diego. The scholarship recipient must cover his travel costs. Academic Connections is a three-week, precollege summer academic and residential experience targeted to college-bound high school students, grades nine through 12. Students will experience courses taught by UCSD graduate students or work side-by-side with UCSD researchers in their labs on specific projects. Find out more at academicconnections.ucsd.edu/application/index.cfm.

c UCSD Academic Connections-Hawaii, July 10 to 17 and Aug. 6 to 13. Application deadline is March 25. The university is offering two full-tuition scholarships to qualified high school students to attend the Academic Connections program in Hawaii. Alakai i ka Malama Honua “A Leader in Caring for the Earth” course is made possible by a university and The Kohala Center partnership. This one-week precollege summer academic experience for college-bound high school students in grades nine to 12 examines the diverse ecosystem and climate zones of Hawaii Island. Students will travel around the island studying geology, volcanology, marine science and Hawaiian history. Find out more at academicconnections.ucsd.edu/application/index.cfm. Applicants must submit their scholarship application form directly to The Kohala Center, P.O. Box 437462, Kamuela, HI, 96743, or (fax) 885-6707.