Maui Science and Education Programs Get Monsanto Grants

Baldwin High School: Paul Koehler of Monsanto Hawaii (on right) with the Baldwin robotics team. Courtesy photo.

By Wendy Osher

Six Maui schools were included on a list of 15 schools in the state that will share in nearly $15,000 in grants from Monsanto Hawaii.

The company’s Science Education Fund was established to support science education in Hawaii’s public schools.

Recipient schools in Maui County include Molokai High School, Hana High School, H.P. Baldwin High School, Kihei Charter School, King Kekaulike High School, and Lahainaluna High School.

Baldwin students will use the funds to help the Robotics team purchase equipment and supplies for the upcoming FIRST Robotics competitions.

Kihei Charter School (left to right): Paul Koehler (Monsanto Hawaii), Melinda Roth (Kihei Charter School), Dan Kuhar (Kihei Charter School), David Stolzfus (Monsanto Hawaii). Courtesy photo.

Kihei Charter School will use the grand funding to purchase supplies fro renewable energy experiments and hands-on lessons in physics.

“Helping young people explore science is one of the key focus areas of our corporate giving programs,” said Paul Koehler, community affairs director for Monsanto Hawaii.

“By helping to encourage our youth to become life-long learners, we hope to contribute to the development of a strong workforce in the fields of science, engineering and technology.”

The grant program is available on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Molokai, where Monsanto employees live and work.

Other schools throughout the state that received grant funding this time around were: Aliamanu Middle School, Kaimuki Middle School, Kalakaua Middle School, Kalani High School, Leilehua High School, Pearl City High School, Myron B. Thompson Academy, Waialua High & Intermediate School, and Waianae High School.

Public schools serving students in intermediate grades through college for educational purposes related to science are encouraged to apply for the Monsanto Hawaii Science Education Fund grants. The next application deadline is February 6, 2012.

Applications can be downloaded online at www.monsanto.com/hawaii or by contacting one of Monsanto’s farm stations on Maui, 808-879-4074; Molokai, 808-553-5070; and Oahu, 808-690-8054.

The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company.  The fund is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work.