Students from schools across the state of Hawai‘i submitted project ideas on how to be better stewards of our precious coral reefs. Mini grants were awarded to these groups as part of the International Year of the  Reef – Hawai‘i campaign.

Title of Project:  Reef Relief
School: St. Anthony’s Jr./Sr. High school
Location: Wailuku (Maui)
Students will create a science experiment to determine the effects that beach debris has on the reef.  They will conduct beach cleanups, analyze the debris, and compare it to the health of the reef in that area.  They will also put together a presentation for the community at the end of their study.

Title of Project:  Middle School Project-Based, Service Learning Program
School:  Montessori Hale O Keiki
Location: Kihei (Maui)
Students will partner with the National Marine Sanctuary on Maui to help the Sanctuary complete projects while learning about ocean science.  Topics of study will include: Limu biomass and growth, opihi abundance and size, reef fish surveying, plankton studies, water quality studies, and beach profiling.   Students will compile their data into a written report.

Title of Project:  A Look Back at Our Reefs
School:  Lāna‘i High and Elementary School Conservation Club
Location: Lāna‘i City (Lāna‘i)
Students will produce a visual aid of what the reef in their area looks like today.  They will them compare this to pictures from the past and interview their kūpuna to hear stories of how the reef used to look.  They will then use these visual aids and collected stories for a presentation to their community on how the reef has changed, and propose solutions to help the reef survive.

Title of Project:  Salt Pond Beach Reef Walk and Beach Clean-up
School:  King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School (First Grade Class)
Location: Lihue (Kaua‘i)
First grade teachers will work with their students to educate them about what coral reefs are through books, videos, and a field trip.  After the programs are completed the teachers will survey the first graders and their families to demonstrate that their families are trying to become more environmentally responsible as a result of this education.  Teachers will also compile a slide show for their final report to share with the rest of the school.

Title of Project:  Community Environmental Awareness: Maunalua Bay
School:  Kamiloiki Elementary School
Location: Honolulu (O‘ahu)
Fourth and fifth graders working with the Navigating Change curriculum will lead studies in the area, put together projects (such as invasive algae removal) and design an educational sign to inform the public about why it is important to take care of Maunalua Bay.

Title of Project:  Hands-on training through service learning with beach clean-ups, marine debris removal and net recycling.
School:  Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School and Kaua‘i Community College.
Location: Lihue (Kauai‘)
Eighth grade students and KCC students will work in collaboration on beach cleanup projects, collect data on marine debris, and learn how to recycle discarded nets.  The 8th graders will make a presentation of their work on what they learned about reefs and their community. The KCC students will give a report on their projects at the University of Hawai‘i Marine Option Symposium in the spring of 2009, and will incorporate the 8th graders in the process.

Title of Project:  Human Impact on Hawaii’s Marine Life.
School: Kaimuki High School Marine Science classes
Location: Honolulu (O‘ahu)
Students will learn how to gather data on water quality, coral bleaching, and marine debris.  They will be conducting their studies at Hanauma Bay and learn how to set up transect lines along the reef.  Information gathered will be used as baseline data to be continued by future classes.

Title of Project:  How do you go from ‘ōhi‘a rust to healthy reefs in one sentence?  A seventh-grade Proposal to Plant Native Rainforest Plants and Install an Informational Sign Along a Stream at Carvalho Park, Hilo, HI
School:  Hilo Intermediate High School
Location:  Hilo (Hawai‘i island)
Students will study how forests are connected to the reef and begin to plant native plants along the stream bank in order to control erosion.  They will make informational signs to show how what they are doing with the plants actually connects to the health of the reef.