This project proposes to establish a secondary educational facility which differs fundamentally from traditional classroom education. The West Hawaii Explorations Academy is an operational project and work experience laboratory for secondary students, while also serving as a Center for integrative curriculum development and teacher training. The project is headquartered at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, a state funded incubation facility for scientific research and commercial operations in aquaculture and energy development. Approximately one hundred thirty three 10th through 12th grade heterogeneously selected students, including high-risk students, work and study full time throughout the school year. Students team with peers, staff, University of Hawaii faculty and students, graduate students, mentors, community members, and employers. Rather than attend classes, students receive credit for all of their core courses by managing and staffing a wide variety of projects. These include aquaculture and cold water agriculture research and production, alternatively-fueled vehicle research, environmental projects, aquarium site development, desalination, alternative energy development, sustainable research, and marine environments. While engaged in project work, they take modules in Records/Business/Finance, Media/Publications, Research Support, Facilities, Leadership and Reading/Writing. The vision is to partner with a research laboratory, a university and the community to develop a new model for education with the following goals: a) enhance the prospect that students, including high risk youth, go to college or be employed, b) encourage inservice teachers to adopt an integrative teaching style, c) develop pre-service teachers who can implement an integrative program and modify the curriculum for high risk students, d) increase the science, math and engineering expertise available to students, e) serve as a national model program in expanding education beyond the walls of the classroom and attract community and university resources, and f) prepare and distribute a collection of exemplary materials with national scope which promote and facilitate integrative education at the secondary level. An external evaluator carefully documents project activities and student outcomes so the results can be disseminated to the profession.
