Laptops Needed for WHEA Students Because of Distance Learning:
West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) is Hawaii’s first start-up charter high school, officially opening in 2000. It’s located just south of the Kona airport within the acreage of the Natural Energy Lab. It has full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC, 2002).
WHEA-PCS is a nationally recognized laboratory school serving as a “magnet” for science-focused, outdoor, hands-on education. It features large-scale, long-term, projects that meet or exceed performance demands of traditional “standards based” education. The program works best for students seeking to challenge themselves in a self-directed, science-focused learning environment. The curriculum is writing intensive and college preparatory, but “Can-Do” attitude almost always outshines innate ability. While WHEA’s pedagogy has been developed in the context of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, it is actually designed to be transferable to nearly all academic subjects. The WHEA Robotics Project has become one of the most popular projects at the school.
This is such a trying time for the school as the COVID situation continues to change. Following the DOE, WHEA has switched to all- distance learning for now. Many high school aged children of Hualalai employees and vendors attend WHEA and received assistance in purchasing laptops through our Hualalai Ohana Foundation. However, many other WHEA students do not have a computer at home. WHEA has been loaning laptops, but the demand is too high, and the school has fallen short.
If you wish to assist in providing WHEA high school students with a laptop, please contact:
Kaia Anderson
WHEA Governing Vice Chair and Secretary 808-896-5585
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