HEA recently awarded six Teaching As A Career (TAAC) grants totaling $1,200 to six high schools throughout the state. The winning schools each received $200 to help build their programs to encourage students to enter the teaching profession. They were:

Farrington High School’s Teaching Pathway/Public Service Academy, led by educator Jenny Lundahl, will use their grant to host guest speakers, take field trips, and develop interactive lessons for the classroom.

James Campbell High School’s Educators Rising/Academy of Public & Human Services, led by advisor Val Tina Oishi, will use their grant to support the high school students to participate in the Read Aloud program with neighboring elementary schools and other activities, including music lessons, to interact with preschoolers and other younger students.

Kauai High School’s Future Teachers of Hawaii program, led by adviser Jonathon Medeiros, will host talk story sessions with educators across Kauai County, opportunities to interact with teachers, and a service learning trip.

Leilehua High School’s Teacher Education Program, led by Cindy Abe, will use the TAAC grant to work with visiting school children touring Leilehua High’s programs, plan lessons with elementary school children, and other activities.

Maui High School’s Education Pathway program, advised by Rondy Arquero, will use their grant for field trips to feeder schools, visit eighth graders who may be interested in teaching as a career, and a Christmas social later this year.

Mililani High School’s Teaching as a Profession Pathway, led by adviser Stephanie Grande-Misaki, will use their grant to provide field experience with young students in a neighboring elementary school and preschool, observe and participate in community-based classes, design standards-based curriculum and instruction in a core content area, host guest presentations for career and college exploration, and create an activity book to raise funds for a mini winter workshop.