The goal of the NSF Young Scholars Pacific Region Program (PRP) is to increase the knowledge of 25 high ability high school students in the careers, philosophy and ethics, and problem solving methodologies in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, and social sciences as they relate to agriculture. Participants will consists of students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. A special effort will be made to recruit students who are female, handicapped and of Filipino, Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander ancestries; the goal is 75% ethnic minority participants. A curriculum which emphasizes experimental learning and offers variety, independence, and guided discovery in knowledge building will be provided to participants. The PRP will include both a 6-week summer residential program and follow-up activities. The summer program will consist of four inter-related learning experiences: case studies; group experiences; field experiences; and independent projects. Students will be housed in University of Hawaii dormitories. Follow up activities will take the form of research projects under the guidance of a scientific advisor. These will be presented at a PRP forum held during the academic year and show-cased in science fairs, symposiums, publications, and other forums.
